


The Year of the Dragon: Epilogue Stanley & Tracy 30 some years later

by Mariahtessjojasper



Category: The Year of the Dragon movie 1985
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:34:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 36,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24307507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mariahtessjojasper/pseuds/Mariahtessjojasper
Summary: 31/29/2
Kudos: 2





	1. A Visit from Lou 21

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mickey Rourke](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Mickey+Rourke).



Stanley volunteers half-a-day three days a week at the Center for Veteran Support in the Mission District of San Francisco. He still wears the old combat jacket that says 82nd Airborne. He readily admits he wasn’t ever in the 82 Airborne. He got the jacket in New York when he was still in Brooklyn from a vet who wanted to sell it to him for $20. The vet needed cash for a bus ticket. Stanley gave him $40. Told him to help out another Vet sometime. Stanley was never in the 82nd Airborne but he liked the jacket. 82nd was Army. Stanley had been a Marine. When he wore ties he wore the Marine anchor and globe tie pin. Wore it til Chinatown then put it away. Stanley's hair is long and he rubber bands it. The hair is not a statement. He just doesn't get around to getting it cut very often. The Vets like it. He fits in. That and the 82nd jacket. Makes him easy to talk to. Easy to trust. Some of them think he rides a motorcycle but he has a 2 year old Subaru Outback. Good car. The dog commercials sold him on Subaru. And the dogs seem to like it. Stanley has three dogs. 

He’s retired from LAPD, gets some pension from them, some from NYPD, some Social Security and he has a 401k from International Fine Art Insurance where he'd worked as an investigator for ten years after he left LAPD. A little money from his Marine service. It's a patchwork, but he's fine. He still gets occasional calls to investigate claims of art thefts. He's 73. 

He knows the vets who come in to The Center. Most of them. Does what he can. Drives in to the city from his house in Martinez. He could afford a place in The City. But he likes Martinez. There he can afford a house with a garden. Room for his dogs. Usually brings at least one dog to Vet Center. The Vets like to see a dog. The other two he puts in doggie day care. He doesn't spend his money on much. Doggie day care is no burden for him.

Lately he's been thinking about her. Wonders where she is. What became of her. She was the most beautiful woman he ever knew. Most beautiful woman he ever had sex with. Fucked. Made love to. All three actually he thinks. At different times. Skin like silk. Eyes that saw right into his soul. Legs. Those legs. He could find her, he imagines, if he wanted to put anything into it. He thinks about doing a search for her. Internet. Or paying someone to track her down. Probably married. More than once. Kids. Grand kids. Some Roger. Some Princeton boy. Or some Pierre with a chateau. What if he saw her? He'd just be some intruder from the past. Or maybe a soft smile. Nice memories of something hot that burned out. Cool ashes now. Burned out for her. Not him. 

He could find her. She couldn't be too hidden. But then what? Watch her. Show-up on her doorstep and say what? Hey I still think about you sometimes. I never met anyone else like you. What would she say? Who are you again. Oh that guy from Chinatown who gets everybody killed. But should he die without finding her. Just like to see her once more. What difference does it make? You can’t go back. He wants to know did she love him? She said she did. The first time she said it, he said “I heard you.“ He wasn’t being an asshole, he just didn’t know what he felt at the beginning. Too much was going on. Does she still love him a little? Long for him sometimes? Remember what it was like? And what if she doesn’t? What then? Nothing. He just goes on. What if she does? They go to coffee. Go to bed. He should stop thinking about her. Waste of time. He should ask out one of the nurses that come in to treat the vets. Some pretty ones. Nurses like him. Or maybe invite out one of the women from the Polish Center near his house. Helps out there one day a month. They could speak Polish. Likes to hear Polish spoken. Feels good. Always women there smiling at him. None that young. Maybe that would take his mind off her. He is a hamster on a wheel. Going nowhere.

And then Lou calls. He'll be in town. Wants to have drinks, dinner. Old time sake. Two guys from the old neighborhood. Lou still working. On the NYPD Police Commission now. Technically too old. Special dispensation. Lou is good for it. Longest Chief of Detectives. 

Lou's coming is a sign. A sign he should at least find her. No, Lou is a sign he should let it go. "Signs are tricky" his grandmother used to say - would say it in Polish. Sounded profound in Polish. He doesn't have to take it the next step. Shouldn’t take the next step. He could just find her. He doesn't have to see her. He could see her. From afar. Doesn't have to make contact. That might be enough. Maybe she sits in the park. Feeds pigeons. She was 26 then. She said she was 26. Maybe she was 29. Maybe she was 23. Too poised for 23. She was an actress. But she wasn't acting with him. He frustrated her and she became real with him. What is she now? 61. Or 58. Or 64. Will you still love me when I'm 64. Yes. He would. Maybe she works at a senior center. Too young for the Senior Center. Maybe. Not like stalking her. Just to see her. See what it feels like to see her. Maybe Lou would understand. Maybe he wouldn't. It was all such a long time ago. He could talk to Lou about it. No he really couldn't. 

He'll go one step. Hire someone. To find her. Just find her. That couldn't hurt anything. 

* 

Lou is sitting at the bar when Stanley walks in. Stanley stops for a minute. Maybe he should turn around and leave. Beg off. What good can come of this? But as he considers leaving Lou looks up. Waves. Points to the bar. Lou has two drinks. Two beers. He has already ordered for Stanley.

Stanley walks up. Lou gets up, hugs him.

Stanley: Those both for you?

Lou: Only if you didn't come. Thought you might not.

Stanley: Why wouldn't I come?

Lou: No dogs? I heard you went everywhere with your dogs.

Stanley: Doggie Day care. Like for kids. The dogs like it. Make friends, get socialized. Don’t get lonely.

Lou: How much that cost you?

Stanley: Not too much. What are you in town for?

Lou:Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. BPOE.

Stanley: Does anybody still join that?

Lou: Nah. Not many. All old guys like me.

Stanley: You need a place to stay?

Lou:Nice hotel room. Holiday Inn. So how's life treating you Stanley.

Stanley: Good enough. You?

Lou: I visited Connie's grave two weeks ago. Took flowers out for my mother and Connie wasn't far. Pulled out a couple of roses from the bunch I took for my mother, and left them for Connie. You ever think about her. Connie?

Stanley: Sure I do. You gonna say I got her killed. Are we going back there?

Stanley stands up.

Lou: No sit, sit down. You didn’t get Connie killed. Maybe I did. You said maybe I did. My arrangement got her killed. Maybe you were right. 

Stanley: I did things Lou. Just did what I did. Most decorated cop. I thought it gave me license you know. That the decorations were like approval, like somebody saying you are on the right track, go for it Stanley. You know what you're doing. It'll come right in the end. You know what was as bad as Connie, no worse, was the kid. Herbert. He was sending money to his family. I got the kid killed; I fucking got him killed, Lou. I promised him it would be okay, that I’d take care of him. 

Stanley sighs.

Stanley: I was such an asshole.

Lou: I heard you sent his family most of the money from the house. From the sale of your and Connie's house.

Stanley: Yeah. Least I could do.

  



	2. Lou Has the Number

Lou: You’re not a bad guy Stanley.  
Stanley: No?  
Lou: Just too intense for the rest of us. You should have gone to school looked for the cure to cancer or something.  
Stanley: Nah, never liked school enough for that. Only wanted to study what interested me.  
Lou: But you learn everything about something, Stan, like you did with the Chinese when you went to Chinatown, even boxing man, you learned everything about it, you were smart, smarter than the rest of us.  
Stanley: Not smart, like you said I’m intense. If I got interested in something, I’d learn everything I could, just get into it deep. It made Connie crazy. Guess it made everybody a little crazy.  
They leave the bar. Walk back along Fisherman’s Wharf, cut between two buildings, walk along a creosote pier. Into a nearly hidden restaurant. Stanley is welcomed. Obviously known there. They are given a table by a window.  
Lou: Nice place.  
Stanley: Best sourdough bread and freshest fish in San Francisco.  
The order wine, fish, salads.  
Lou: You’re still a legend with the cops in Chinatown. You should have taken it slower.  
Stanley: Didn’t seem like a choice at the time.  
Lou: So what happened to your Chinese girl. You never married her?  
Stanley: She was slumming. You know she was tired of me after a year, took her another year to move out.  
Lou: I know you didn’t take her to Detroit.  
Stanley: No. She was gone by Detroit. Had a nurse there for awhile. Anastasia. You met her. Sweet girl. Left me for a doctor she was working with. Apologized. Nurses, man. They go for cops and doctors.  
Lou: And alcoholics.  
Stanley: And vets.  
The waiter brings their wine. Pours for Stanley, he tastes it nods approval. Pours for Lou then Stanley. Bread olives brought soon after the wine.  
Lou: You could always get an another nurse. They thought you needed them. Wanted to take care of you.  
Stanley: Yeah nurses.  
Lou: Then what? You did good at LAPD. Detective. Got into art fraud. You married Andrew’s widow after he was shot, killed.  
Stanley: Never married her. Another nurse. She missed him. I missed him. We missed him together. Slowly just started staying there more. Felt comfortable. Almost like a Connie. She and Andrew were both from the neighborhood. They were the best friends I had in LA. I was going to school then, Art History. Got real interested in art theft and art fraud. Bothered the teachers. Felt I was missing the point. But you know I went into it with everything. Before Andrew was shot. Wanted to learn everything I could about art fraud. Andrew pushed me to get the degree. Said I’d probably meet some promiscuous college girls. Probably his fantasy more than mine. Never had much trouble meeting girls. Getting them in bed. But degrees jumped your pay with LAPD. Finally even got a masters degree. Think of that. Me with a masters degree. Basically my degrees are in art fraud. It helped the money when I retired. Then the insurance companies wanted me. Lot of fraud in art theft claims. Got that insurance gig.  
The waiter brings their dinners. Pours more wine.  
Stanley: I missed Tracy in Detroit. Still miss her some days. Never met anyone else like her. Out of my league. But yeah. Detroit then LA. Dinner's on me. I've never been able to thank you for L.A.P. D. That was you. Your recommendation. Without it they wouldn't have taken me. And by the time I got LA, Detroit felt like it was going to come apart. I took the Detroit job right before Tracy took the last of her stuff. She did 60 minutes then met some editor, some Frenchman, he offered her a flat in Paris. She wouldn’t admit it but I’m pretty sure he came with the flat. After I left New York she’d call me at work once in a while - for a couple of years, then nothing. We never had any mutual friends, no idea where she is or what she did after Paris. May still be there.  
Lou: Still interested in knowing?  
Stanley: Sure, of course.  
Lou: She was a beauty.  
Stanley: That she was. And quick and smart. And gutsy. And haughty.  
Lou: I saw her. Two days ago. She walked into my office. Walked in like she owned the place. Like she was royalty or something. Asked if I knew where you were. Told her I was planning to see you. She said to tell you she was back in New York and she needed to talk to you, ask you to please call.  
Stanley: Just like that. Here’s my number, tell him to give me a call.  
Lou: Yeah, just like that.  
Stanley: Well, what’s she doing?  
Lou: That’s it man. She just walked in. Still gorgeous. Dressed in all black. Pearls around her neck. Rings on couple of fingers. Couldn’t tell if she was wearing wedding rings. Hello Lou, she says, remember me? I’m looking for Stanley. Do you know where he is? Yeah I say, I’m going to see him in a couple of days. Okay ask him to call me and she writes down her number gives me that 100 watt smile and leaves. I’m telling you Stanley she is as beautiful as ever.  
Stanley: You brought her number?  
Lou: I thought maybe I would act like that never happened, pretend I never saw her. Throw her number away. She was beautiful. Still beautiful, but Stanley, I'm not sure she was any good for you. You got more intense, went a little crazy, after you met her. Better off without her maybe.  
Stanley: Not your decision Lou.


	3. Stanley Makes a Call

He puts all three dogs in the Outback and drives The Bridges. The Bay, The Golden Gate and the Richmond. Land, water, land, water. Buy a new car. Drive The Bridges. Get a promotion, drive The Bridges. Graduate, drive The Bridges. Winning lottery ticket, drive The Bridges. Friend dies. The Oakland-Bay Bridge, The Golden Gate, The Richmond, The Carquinez, The Dumbarton, The San Mateo, The Beneicia-Martinez but there are three main ones. Well four really four because The Bay Bridge is two bridges connected at Treasure Island. If you really need to sort something out or celebrate something you can do them all. He’d go down to Fremont, cross the Dumbarton east to west, back across the San Mateo west to east, then 880 up to the the Bay Bridge part one, part two, then the grand dame The Golden Gate south to north, then the Richmond west to east, then to south to north The Caquinez then back north to south across the Benecia-Martinez Bridge then home. 2-3 AM best. No traffic. Not a circle. But circular more or less. But just the three tonight. She wants me to call. She told Lou have him call. Probably didn’t even say please have him call. Just an order. Herbert said it, she’s Mandarin. An Aristocrat. What did that make him. Some lackey. Some knight. At her service. Meant to serve her. She loved him. She said she loved him. He believed her. Back then she had loved him at least for a little while. But she’s wearing all black, pearls and he’s an old guy in an old threadbare Army jacket with three rescue dogs.

He won’t call her. Why should he?

He’ll call her from a Starbucks. Noise around him. Like he has other things to do. Like the call is not that important. Just something he is fitting in with other more important things. He’ll take one dog and call her. But he’ll wait a few days. Let her wait. 

He doesn’t wait. He goes home after the three bridge drive really four and feeds the dogs. Waits til they’ve settled. Gets a whiskey, debates about ice. Straight-up, yeah. No ice for this call. He goes out in the backyard, settles onto the lounge, looks up at the stars and dials. Its midnight in New York. He hopes he wakes her up. Hopes she’s asleep. He has to be an asshole about it.  
The call goes to voicemail. A generic voice, not her voice, recites the number, You have reached ..., please leave a message. He hangs up. Tosses the phone out onto the grass. The phone out on the grass chimes, vibrates. He gets up, goes to pick it up, just stands looking down at it, waits. The chiming stops. He picks it up. Looks at the number. He tosses the phone from hand to hand. Sits on the side of the lounge. Long drink of his whiskey. Dials her again.  
Her voice. That voice.  
Tracy: Is this Stanley?  
Stanley: Yeah it is. You asked Lou to have me call.  
Tracy: Did you wait til midnight to call so you could be sure you’d wake me up?  
Stanley: Yeah, I did.  
Tracy: I knew it was you. I knew you would do that. I knew you wouldn't be able to resist being annoying.  
Stanley: It’s been a long time.  
Tracy: It’s good to hear your voice. Are you all right?  
Stanley: Of course. Are you all right?  
Tracy: I wanted to talk to you.  
Stanley: So talk.  
Tracy: You’re in San Francisco.  
Stanley: Not exactly.  
Tracy: No? I thought Lou said you lived in San Francisco.  
Stanley: Work in San Francisco. Live in a town nearby.  
Tracy: I want to come to San Francisco. Would that be all right?  
Stanley: Free country more or less. Can if you want.  
Tracy: I mean to see you. Come there to see you.  
Stanley: What’s going on? Just tell me.  
Tracy: I need help.  
Stanley: Are you in danger?  
Tracy: Yes, maybe. I’m not sure. I might be. I probably am. Yes. No. I don’t know Stanley. Maybe.  
Stanley: Maybe you should just go to the police. Or go to Lou. Lou will help you. Would help you. You don’t have to fly all the way out here.  
Tracy: I’ll get a flight the day after tomorrow. I’ll call you when I get there.  
Stanley: What is this about? Is this something from Chinatown.  
Tracy: I think so. Goodbye Stanley. I’ll see you soon.  
Stanley sits holding the phone. He sits back down on the lounge stretches his legs out. Looks up at the stars. Finishes his whiskey.  
Shrugs. Smiles. 


	4. The Most Beautiful Woman in the Restaurant

Stanley is at the Center. He didn't bring a dog. The dogs are all at daycare. They'll be dropped off at home, Cameron will stay over with them. In case he's late. He doesn't want them worrying. Dogs like sameness. He made the arrangements. He's not planning anything. Just a precaution. In case they talk late. She will call he doesn't know when. He brought a jacket, a nice jacket, cashmere. The one he wears to speak on behalf of The Center. It fits. With his jeans, his white shirt, loafers-the Mephistos, no socks, very San Francisco. He thought of getting a hair cut. Decided against it. Scoma's. If she says dinner. He'll take her to Scoma's. Or maybe some place by the Ferry Building. Maybe the Leatherneck Steakhouse. He laughs to himself. He wants to be an asshole. But he doesn't want to. Is he still mad she left? At the time he said, fine. He said, it's what we both want. But it wasn't. It wasn't what he wanted. He understood. They'd gone as far as they could. She couldn't be a cop's wife. He couldn't be a celebrity's husband. But when they were alone. When they were just together. Not just the sex. But something playful and teasing, mocking. Saying hate when they meant love. How much she could make him want her. Her beneath him. The arousal. Nothing ever compared. Like he told Lou, she was smart and quick and brave. She's stick the microphone in people's faces and hold her ground. Go toe to toe with people like Joey Tai. A fighter. But after the shooting at the restaurant she couldn't stop crying. Maybe it was then. Or before, when the shooting started and he pinned her under him. How she felt under him. How it felt to have her under him. At the time he didn’t even think about it. Couldn’t. How many shooters? Where were they? What weapons did they have? Well barely thought about it. Thought about it later though. Did it began when she was crying huddled in the phone both. Trying to call in the story. He told her stop crying and he kissed her face, forehead, cheeks then he kissed her on the lips, her lips. Or when she ran after him in the restaurant? She could have been shot. In the restaurant it began in the restaurant. From then on there was something between them. Not later in that apartment it didn't begin in the apartment. That amazing apartment. In the phone both when he kissed her on the lips, when she was crying they were connected then. Gutsiest woman he ever knew. So okay. He'll give her a hearing. She's willing to pay for a flight. Two flights. One here, one back.

He checks his phone. It's charged. He's nervous. Okay he can admit that. He should have cut his hair. But that would be giving-in. Doing something to impress her. And he won't do that. He can't do that. He washed his hair twice. The sports jacket is enough. And clean hair. He checks the battery level. 89%. Maybe he should plug it in just to be sure. She never made him nervous. Then. Not once. No one made him nervous. In those days he was sure. Sure of everything. Sure he was right about everything. The doubts came later. Connie, Herbert. Others. He had no regrets about Joey Tai. But it was too much drama. A shoot out. Gunfight. Maybe he shouldn't have given Joey his gun. How did he know Joey wouldn't shoot him with it? He knew it the way he knows things sometimes.

His cell buzzes and vibrates.  
Tracy: I'm here Stanley.  
Stanley: Where?  
Tracy: The Ritz-Carlton. A room. Small suite.  
Stanley: So how do you want to do this?  
Tracy: Could we meet. Have dinner together. Talk.  
Stanley: We can do that. I have a restaurant I like. I have to finish up a few things here, could we meet there at 7:00?  
Tracy: Of course. What is the name of it?  
Stanley: Scoma's. At Fisherman's wharf. Any cabbie will know it. I'll bring you back to the hotel after. I have a car.  
Tracy: I know Scoma’s. I’ll be there. Thank you Stanley.  
Stanley: No problem. I'll make a reservation.  
He thinks he should've gotten a hair cut. She's at the Ritz Carlton. So money. A flight and money. And she didn't want to just tell Lou.

She is sitting already at a table when he walks in. She looks the same. Almost the same. Slim, sitting very straight. Her hair still black and short. Maybe a little more make-up. The most beautiful woman in the room. And he thinks waiting for me. The most beautiful woman in the room is waiting for me. She watches him cross the room to her. He notices men in the room glancing at her, attracted by her looks, thinking she is someone famous, wondering where have they seen her before.  
She leans her head toward him as he pulls out the chair. She is offering a cheek for him to kiss. He obliges her. A quick light kiss. She smells the same. What is it? What did she tell him it was. Wood? Something wood? Cedar-wood? No. Sandal. She smells of sandalwood.  
Stanley: You smell good.  
Tracy: My soap. Same soap. Comes from India. Thank you for coming.  
Stanley: I had been thinking about you. I had been thinking about trying to find you.  
Tracy: Why?  
Stanley: Not sure. You had been on my mind. Wondered where you were, what you were doing.  
Tracy: How long has it been?  
Stanley: Since when? Since we spoke last? Since you moved to Paris?  
Stanley: Long time.  
Tracy: Are you still cracked?  
Stanley: Probably. Not as callous. Not as indifferent. Learned a few things. You were right about me. I didn't care about other people's suffering. It was my intensity. Tunnel vision. Always been a problem. Why did you fly all the way out here?  
Tracy: I wanted to see you.  
Stanley: Why now? Why not last year? Or next year?  
The waiter comes. Describes the specials. Asks about wine and drinks. Tracy looks at the wine list.  
Tracy: May I?  
Stanley: Please.  
Tracy: You are my guest.  
She orders a French wine.  
The waiter nods, smiles. He is pleased by her choice. He goes away. Returns quickly with the wine. Shows it to Tracy, opens it, offers it to Tracy to taste. She tastes, nods, smiles in approval.  
The waiter pours for Stanley and then Tracy. They each take a drink.  
Stanley: Seems your time in France wasn't wasted.  
They order.  
Tracy: When you killed Joey Tai, he had a daughter. A little girl. A beautiful daughter.  
Stanley: I didn't kill him. Joey Tai killed himself. I handed him my gun so he could do it. You know I handed him the gun and I knew he wouldn't shoot me. I knew he would kill himself. He put the gun under his chin and pulled the trigger.  
Tracy: You know there were rumors you shot him in cold blood for Herbert.  
Stanley: He traded me the information about where the heroin was for my gun so he could kill himself. His was out of ammunition.  
Tracy: Why let him kill himself?  
Stanley: A confluence of needs. I needed him dead. He needed to be dead. I wanted him dead because of Herbert, because of your rape, because of the people he had killed. He wanted to be dead because of the humiliation he and his family would experience if he was arrested, tried and imprisoned. I wanted to never worry about him getting out of prison on some technicality or money slipped into the wrong hands.  
Tracy: Someone is threatening me. Saying that someone must pay for his death. Twitter. Facebook posts. Emails. I've deleted my accounts. I've gotten e-mails that stay up til I read them and then disappear. I can't print them. I had a private firm look into it. They found nothing. Just harassment they said. Not to worry happens all the time. No real threat there. Something feels bad about it. More than nothing. I thought maybe it was his daughter. She would be in her forties now. I don't know how much she knows or even how much the wife Laura knew. I didn't report anything after he died. I left that station, went to 60 minutes. And then on to well you know to Paris.  
Stanley: How did things work out with your Frenchman. So he was an editor? Did he have a chateau?  
Tracy: He wasn't cracked. At least. But he wasn't you. But it was okay. After being with you I needed to rest. You took everything. You took everything from everyone.  
Stanley: I did. I know. The day Connie died, she said I used her up. My attention would be on one thing and I tried to make everything, everyone around me serve that. I just couldn't see outside of where I was focused.  
Stanley: We had something, didn't we? For awhile. That was what I wanted to ask you. Was it something you felt too, back then. Something not like anything else. Something special for you.  
Tracy: No one else was like you. And the way we would talk to each other, it was play. Play antagonism. Play hate. But it was love. I was young. You scared me and you frustrated me. You invited me to dinner that night, that first night, then insulted me and you were so smug and I was walking out and the next thing the shooting started and you were lying on top of me, saving my life, protecting me from the bullets. Who doesn't fall in love then? And then later. In the phone both I am calling in the story and I can't stop crying and you held me and kissed me on my face on my cheeks then on my lips and you said stop crying. You were so tender and gentle. You were not like anyone I'd ever met. Not like any men I knew. And after, since, there was never anyone else like you.  
Stanley: Good for awhile?  
Tracy: So good. But, we just had no where to go together.  
Stanley: So someone is threatening you?  
Tracy: Someone is saying that someone must pay for Joey Tai's death. Over and over.  
Stanley: Reported it to the police?  
Tracy: No. I told you I hired a private firm to investigate.  
The waiter brings their food. They begin.  
Stanley: Why not talk to Lou? He's a good cop. Been there a long time. Knows everybody. Has a lot of clout.  
Tracy: I could. I can. I wanted to talk to you first.  
Stanley: When did this start?  
Tracy: About 3 months ago. The first was an e-mail. It just said someone must pay for Joey Tai's death. I was going to print it. I tried. A note came-up saying this text cannot be printed. And then it disappeared. Then a tweet. Someone must pay for Joey Tai’s death. I was going to block the sender but then it was deleted. Something on Facebook around the same time. Also deleted. I have a list. All that I can remember. Some I was able to print before they disappeared. Always different senders.  
Stanley: I still want to fuck you. You know that? I'm not even sure I could. But I want to.  
Tracy: Will you focus please?  
Stanley: I am focused.  
He laughs.  
Stanley: You're beautiful. You are still so beautiful. Okay. Did you bring this list?  
Tracy: Yes I have the list.  
Stanley: It's been a long time. I want to sit here and enjoy looking at you then I'll look at this list.  
Tracy: You are still cracked. I knew you would be.


	5. Stanley Is Invited to Tracy's Suite

Stanley: So maybe 10 messages in all. Over 3 months.  
Tracy: About that.  
They are walking in Fisherman’s wharf.  
Tracy: I want to go to the Buena Vista. Irish coffee. Is it still there?  
Stanley: Still there.  
They walk to the Buena Vista, wait a little while for a table. She orders Irish coffee. Stanley has Irish whiskey.  
Tracy: I want to make this stop. I don’t care who is doing it. I want to make it stop.  
Stanley: You want me to make it stop.  
Her hundred watt smile.  
Tracy: Yes. I want you to make it stop.  
Stanley: So what have you been doing?  
Tracy: I lived in France for ten years. I got a job as an anchor on a small Chinese TV station. I did a few commercials. I married the Frenchman. We had a child. A beautiful little girl. Angelique. She died when she was five, pneumonia. I thought it was the fault of the French health service. That if we had been in The States she would have lived. If we’d been in San Francisco, my father would have had the best doctors for her. I blamed France, I blamed Emil. I moved out, kept the job. I got offered a job another reporter job on a Chinese cable channel based in New York. I got some travel international stories of interest to Chinese people. Did a few specials. A couple of documentaries. Won a couple of awards. Some travel to China. Went to a bigger small station. Anchoring morning news. Half hour. Like it. Ratings are good. Co-anchor is a gay guy. Not out. Very handsome. He pulls in the viewers I think. Steady dependable sponsors.  
Stanley: You aren’t telling me about the men.  
Tracy: What do you want to know?  
Stanley: How many Rogers?  
Tracy: Two Rogers. One a pumpernickel the third.  
Stanley: There was never a Roger. Marriages? Are you living with someone?  
Tracy: Married Emil. No one else. Divorced Emil. Lived with a few men. Didn’t want any more marriages. Some women want another child right away. Not me. I never wanted another child. I knew I couldn't bear it if that other child got sick and died. I couldn’t go through it again. Ten years ago my father got sick. I came back here. He had leukemia. I cared for him for six months. After he died I liquidated everything. I didn’t need to work then, I was well off, but my anchor job was good. Is good. So I stayed partly for the medical.  
Stanley: Is there a man?  
Tracy: What difference does it make?  
Stanley: Why are you being so coy?  
Tracy: Habit. You were so sure of yourself. I always want to knock you off balance.  
Stanley laughs.  
Tracy: That first night in my apartment, I was lying on the bed and I told you about Roger.  
Stanley: You made-up Roger.  
Tracy: There you were with your pants down. You believed me.  
Stanley: I never believed you about Roger. I was a cop. Am a cop. I know when people are lying to me. You were lying.  
Tracy: You weren’t completely sure.  
Stanley: Not because of what you said, but because you said it. You said it. I thought you wanted sex. Wanted me to fuck you. That you brought up Roger threw me off. I thought what is she doing?  
Tracy: You looked ridiculous with your pants down but you weren’t even embarrassed. You just went right on. Nothing phased you.  
Stanley: I played along.  
Tracy: It made you want me more.  
Stanley: Couldn’t have wanted you more. No, you made me uncertain. Me, Stanley White. Stanley Wizynski uncertain. I hate uncertainty. I hated you.  
Tracy: You loved me.  
Stanley: I wanted to fuck you. You were a tease.  
Tracy: I was ambivalent. It wasn't like that again for me.  
Stanley: What wasn’t?  
Tracy: All of it. The sex. The fucking. Making love. Sex. You. Love. The job, that apartment, you. You mostly you.  
Stanley: Love? Was love in there somewhere? With me. And the apartment.  
Tracy: And the job.  
Stanley: And me.  
Tracy laughs.  
Tracy: What about you?  
Stanley: You stayed for the worst part. The inquiries, the review boards. The transfer. After you left you know I took that position in Detroit. Stayed there five years. Moved to detective. Could tell Detroit was a city that was going to destroy itself. Cop friend from the neighborhood Greg Gorski called Lou told him about an open detective position LAPD. Did Lou know anybody? Lou called me. Told me get out of Detroit. Interviewed. Got the LA position. Lou helped. Greg helped. I took the intensity down a notch. LA is a laid back place. Went back to school there. College practically free in California. Northridge. Wanted something different. Studied Art History. Thought it would be a nice change. But couldn’t help myself. Got intese about it. Got into studying forgeries, art thefts, fraud. Started to get consulted on art theft cases at LAPD. I was a little rough around the edges for some of the LA art theft clientele but my study and my intensity paid off. Mandatory retirement at 60 for LAPD. Some guys finesse it til 65. 60 is too young, they should change it. An insurance company wanted someone in house for their art theft claims. About 1/4 or more of art theft claims are fraud. I was the perfect guy. They knew me from cases at LAPD. Their headquarters were here, so moved up here to The Bay Area. Bought a little house in Martinez. Have three dogs. Rescues. Retired a year ago, the insurance guys still call from time to time. They don’t like their new guy much. I work 3 1/2 days at the Veterans Center in The Mission District. Volunteer at a Pet Rescue, 1 day a week. Polish Center volunteer one day a month.  
Tracy: Dogs no girls?  
Stanley: Some girls. After you, I went back to nurses. Like Connie. Lived with a few. Nurses like me, put up with me. No kids. Then 10 years with Annie Gorski after her husband Greg was killed. She was a Polish girl from the neighborhood, a nurse. Annie and Greg were my best friends in L.A. Then he got shot, died. I spent time with his wife Annie after he died. She’d call if something broke, or when she got too lonely. I'd stay over. Just slowly moved in. She had older kids, college, finishing high school. They seemed relieved to have me there. We did okay. We were comfortable with each other. Just before I retired from LAPD, she had a stroke. Died. Her kids still call me occasionally.  
Tracy: Do you think about me?  
Stanley: Nah.  
Tracy: Yes you do.  
Stanley: So you going to invite me up to this suite of yours.  
Tracy: If I don’t, will you just barge in.  
Stanley: No. But I’ll want to.  
Tracy: I didn’t bring the list. It’s in the suite.  
Stanley: You could have brought it, brought it on your phone.  
Tracy: I could have. But I didn’t. It’s better on paper.  
Stanley: Sure it is. You could have brought the paper in your purse.  
Tracy: I could have but I didn’t.  
Stanley: Well I guess we’ll have to go to the suite for me to see it. No need for me to barge in. You’re going to invite me in.  


They are quiet on the way to her hotel. He gives the car to the valet. They look at each other smile. But keep their distance. She opens the door to her room, walks in, takes off her coat, hangs it up.  
Tracy: I have wine. Red or white.  
Stanley laughs.  
Stanley: Both.  
She pours red for herself, puts out a glass for Stanley and puts the two bottles by the glass.  
Tracy: You can pour for yourself.  
Stanley: So where is this list of threats?  
Tracy is sitting on the sofa, wineglass in hand, feet curled up under her.  
Stanley looks at her. Walks over to her. Takes the wine glass out of her hand, drinks out of her glass and sets the glass down on the table, then pushes her down on the couch. Kisses her. Gets on top of her.  
Tracy: I’m not having sex with you til you cut your hair.  
Stanley: Yes you are. 

Tracy is sitting up in bed. Covers pulled up to her waist. Bare top.  
Stanley across from her in the chair. Jeans on. Bare feet. No shirt.  
Tracy: Pretty good for an old guy.  
Stanley: Have you really been threatened or did you just come out here to get me to fuck you.  
Tracy: You are so crude.  
Stanley: Because you like it. Because it makes you feel more real. Not floating along on some rich cloud.  
Tracy: I don’t know if I am being threatened but the things I told you are real.  
She gets out of bed, goes to the closet, puts on a robe, picks up a suitcase, brings it to the bed, opens it, unzips the inside pocket on the top, takes out a sheaf of papers. Walks over to Stanley and hands them to him. He puts the papers down. Opens her robe, kisses her on the belly. She pushes him away.  
Tracy: Stop.  
Stanley: You want me to want you.  
Tracy: Just look at the papers.  
Stanley picks up the papers, begins going through them.


	6. A Funeral, A Car Break-In, Amends for an Assault

Stanley: When this started what were you doing?  
Tracy: Nothing.I wasn’t doing anything.  
Stanley: No threats before. Nothing you were doing in Chinatown and out of the blue an e-mail you can’t print.  
Tracy: The first one was on twitter actually, maybe.  
Stanley: I thought you said the e-mail was first.  
Tracy: Now that I think back, there was a tweet. An odd tweet.  
Stanley: What was the tweet?  
Tracy: You are the reporter that started the trouble in China town. I guess that is what made me think of Joey Tai, of his family. Joey Tai had threatened me. Told me I had gone too far when I asked him about White Powder Ma. He made an ethics complaint. Got me pulled off the air. Said he knew you were my source. Put it in the complaint.  
Stanley: That tweet, it was in February?  
Tracy: Yeah around the time of the Chinese New Year. Before it. Maybe late January.   
Stanley: Were you in Chinatown then?  
Tracy: No. yes. Sort of. Remember my camera man. He was the best. When the station pulled me off the Chinatown beat, they gave him to the guy that took over. He offered to resign in protest. He was very loyal. Best camera man I ever worked with.  
Stanley: He didn’t send the tweet.  
Tracy: No. He died. I went to his funeral. A group of us from the station who had worked with him in those days went out to eat. After the funeral. We didn’t go to Chinatown, but we reminisced. People from the station from those days. Your name came up. Some people thought you used me. There’s a consensus that cops like you hate the press except when you can use it for your own ends.  
Stanley: Who was there? It was after that wake that dinner you got the first tweet?  
Tracy: No. The first tweet was in late January. This was mid February. I'd already gotten the reporter tweet and one e-mail before the funeral. And they are all friends, well not friends, but none could have a grudge against me for Joey Tai. It couldn’t be any of them.  
Stanley: Anything else happen in February?  
Tracy: No. Yes. Someone broke into my car. Jimmied the lock, pulled out the alarm wires. I came down in the morning and the remote wouldn’t work. It had to be towed. Nothing in it taken except the handbook was out of the glove compartment. It was left out on the seat. The mechanic had to reinstall the alarm system and the locks. Cost $1500. No one else’s car in the garage. Weird. I thought it was a mistake. A disgruntled boyfriend who got the wrong car.  
Stanley: A tweet, a broken into car. A funeral. A wake. Anything else?  
Tracy: You know I never reported the rape. Refused to. I got tested. Saw a gynecologist. She respected my right not to report.  
Stanley: I know.  
Tracy: I was glad not to be in Chinatown after. I thought I might see them. They had help getting in. You know I never felt safe there again. Unless you were there. But this March a man came in to the station and asked for me. Off the street, came in to reception. A Chinese man. In his late 50s. They called me out. When I came out and saw him I sudden felt acute anxiety. I didn’t know why. He asked to speak to me alone for a few minutes. I asked for security to come and be nearby while I sat down with him there in a conference room. He was portly, dressed in a suit. Security just stood in the room a little way off. And then I knew. I saw it in his face. He spoke in Chinese. Cantonese. He said you know who I am. I said you raped me. He said I came to say sorry. He said “I did a lot of things in those days. I worked for men who did as they wished and used people young men like me to enforce what they wanted.“ He said he had become an alcoholic. But now was clean and sober. Married. Children. He is an undertaker in Chinatown. He gave me his card. He asked if I reported the rape. I told him I hadn’t. He told me he would understand if I reported him now. He knew that was a risk he took in seeing me. He’s in AA. Wanted to make amends. He has three daughters. He is always afraid his daughters will be raped because of what he did to me. That there would be karmic justice against him. He cried. He said he was so sorry. He wanted to know what he could do. I said give me the names of the other two boys. He hesitated. He didn’t want to. He said he wanted to talk to his AA sponsor about it.  
Stanley: Did he give you the names?  
Tracy: A week later there was an envelope waiting for me at the reception desk. Inside were the names of two men, written in English and Chinese and some information about the family of each. And there was $1000 dollars. A note that said if you do not need or want this money, please give it to a rape crisis center.  
Stanley: What did you do?  
Tracy: With him? He was sorry. He was really sorry. I could tell. I have always wondered why they didn’t cut me, kill me.They had knives. I had no defense. I asked him.  
Stanley: What did he say?  
Tracy: He said they were told not to kill me. Not to cut me. Not to touch my face. Too much publicity. He said the boys watched me on TV. Liked it that a beautiful Chinese woman was on TV. That they were there to teach me a lesson. That Joey Tai could get to me that I was not safe. They were told to do as they liked but not to cut me. They were told to scare me.  
Stanley: What did you do with the names?  
Tracy: The envelope with the names, the money is in my safe deposit box at the bank. I didn’t want the envelope in my house.  
Stanley: Do you think he might have told the others that he told you.  
Tracy: Maybe. I don’t quite understand the AA rules, amends, inventory. Maybe his sponsor made him tell them.  
Stanley: Maybe.  
Tracy: Are you staying here with me tonight?  
Stanley: Are you inviting me to stay the night?  
Tracy: I guess I expected you to invite yourself.  
Stanley laughs.  
Stanley: I’m going to go home. Does anyone know you’re here.   
Tracy: No. I didn’t tell anyone where I was going. I just took a week off. My assistant made my reservations. I don’t think anyone else would know.   
Stanley: A week off, huh. To see me.   
Tracy: I wasn’t sure about your schedule. I though you might have trouble finding time for me.   
Stanley: Sure you did. You should be safe here if no one knows you are here. I want to think about what you’ve told me. What are you doing tomorrow?  
Tracy: I plan to see some old friends here for lunch.  
Stanley: You have a flight back.  
Tracy: Not yet.  
Stanley: There’s a place I take my dogs on Saturday. A place in Berkeley. Point Isabelle. Richmond really. Seems like Berkeley. I could see you after. Or you could come with us. It’s a dog park. Looks out across The Bay at the Golden Gate Bridge. Dogs are off leash. Big, little. Nothing but dogs.  
Tracy: Meet after, I think. I don’t want to cancel on my friends. Could I meet you some where later. Dinner again.  
Stanley: You could come to my house. It’s out in Martinez. It’s an hour or so drive.You have a car?   
Tracy: I grew up here, Stanley. I know where Martinez is. I have a car.  
Stanley: I’ll make you dinner. I have a garden.  
Tracy: Okay. Give me your address. I’ll find it. What time?  
Stanley: Six.  
He puts on his shirt. Slips on his shoes. Gets his jacket. Tracy walks over to him. He pulls the robe open. Stands up, pulls her to him. Kisses her. Slides his hand under the robe. Strokes her bare back.  
Stanley: I’ll see you tomorrow night. Sweet dreams.  
He leaves.


	7. Lasagna Dinner and A Late Night Walk

Stanley is sitting at the dog park. He keeps running his hand along the back of his neck. Went out early, got a haircut. Need to be presentable now. Feels good he made his point, fucked her with his hair long.  
There is a cool breeze blowing off the bay. His German Shepard Fritz is lying at his feet. The pit bull Eric is chasing the Chihuahua, Elena. They'll at least be tired later. He regrets inviting her. He has to clean-up. The place isn't bad, but when people have company, they clean-up. And what should he cook. For her. Why did he invite her. He should have just offered to take her some place. He could take her some place in Martinez. Change of plan. We're going out. But if he wants to have sex with her. If? He wants to have sex with her again. He always wants to fuck her. Make love to her. Now make love to her. Gentle. Sweet. Even now. All these years later. He looks at her and that is what he wants. That is what he thinks about. It's better to be at home. What about the dogs? He has never fucked anyone at his house. How will that be. Maybe he should take the dogs to day care for the night. If he closes the door they will be scratching on the door. Want to get in. If he opens the door the dogs will jump in the bed. If they have sex and open the door after the dogs will want to sleep in bed with them. She didn't say anything one way or the other about dogs. Chinese like cats. They have pictures of cats. Some dogs, temple dogs. His dogs don't look anything like temple dogs. One day. He has to cook, clean up the place, change the sheets, get the dogs to day care. Is this what women go through when he asks them on a date and they have kids. What about take out. She used to like Italian. He'll go to Costco and get a lasagna. It's right by the dog park. That won't work unless someone at the dog park will watch the dogs. He can't leave them in the car. What is he doing? All he is thinking about is fucking her again. No. He is thinking about the smell of her hair, the smell of her skin, what she feels like underneath him. The same. Because she smells the same. She had a baby. A little girl. A husband. But it feels like she went out a door and then came back in. And no time had passed, that is the way it feels. They are older. But the feeling is the same. He has to do this right.

And he has to think about who is writing to her. Joey Tai's daughter? His wife? One of the rapists. Some one from twitter. Someone who was a fan watched her on TV. A cousin of Joey Tai? The notes don't say she has to pay, just that someone does. Is it money they want? Maybe the writer wants him. Maybe they wanted to follow her to him. Why bother? He is not hidden. It would't take anything to find him. Maybe someone from Joey's crew who went to prison. Someone who was in prison who is now out. Money. A life for a life? Just some Twitter troll? Who would bother after all this time? Put the time into it? Who is writing to her. Are they a threat? He can't get caught-up in being with her without taking this seriously. He can't think where it might go with her. She just wants him to make the threat go away. She didn't say anything about the future. He should just enjoy being with her. Just let it be whatever it is.

He'll discuss it with the dogs. The German Shepard is the best. He always has good advice.  
Stanley: So she's here, Fritz. The one I told you about. I invited her for dinner. But I don't know what to do now.  
Fritz looks at Stanley with his soulful brown eyes, puts his head on his paws.  
Stanley: You don't want to get involved is that it?  
Fritz growls softly, puts one paw over his nose. Looks away.

Sarah with the Dachshunds comes up. Sits down next to him.  
Sarah: You look happy today.  
Stanley: Old friend is in town.  
Sarah's Dachshunds have charged Elena and she jumped on one, has that one down on his back. She is growling at the other one.  
Sarah: That little Elena is the fiercest dog in this park.  
Stanley: I promised I'd make dinner for my friend and I don't know what I am doing. I should have said I'd take her out.  
Sarah: Run over to Costco. Get a lasagna or a chicken or something.  
Stanley: Good idea. Wondered about it, but can't leave the dogs in the car.  
Sarah: Go. I'll take the dogs home with me if you can’t get back. I’ll call you when I’m ready to go.  
Stanley: It's too much.  
Sarah: I'll put them all in the back yard. Fritz will referee. You don't have to rush and I can relax. I'm grading papers. And you can owe me a dog sit.  
Stanley: Thanks. I’ll owe you Sarah two dog sits.  
Sarah: Stanley, I made brownies this morning. I was going to freeze half. Maybe you could use them for desert. They have cherry liquor and candied cherries in them. They are a sort of romantic brownie.  
Stanley: You are a saint.  
He kisses her on the cheek.  
Stanley: You are way too young for me Sarah, but you are hard to resist.  
Sarah: I prefer girls, Stanley, but if I didn't you'd be at the top of my list.

*

The clean sheets are old ones. Why didn't he plan ahead? Why didn't he buy new sheets? At least they are clean and soft. He changes the bed. Puts the lasagna in the oven. He goes out to the garden picks lettuce and tomatoes and peppers. The dogs look at him mournfully through the fence that keeps them away from the garden. He feels he should apologize to them or explain. He doesn't know what to tell them. A woman is coming here. Someone special. He washes the things from the garden dries everything carefully. Mixes a salad dressing. Rubs a big wooden salad bowl with cloves of garlic. Maybe she doesn't like garlic. All Chinese like garlic, don't they? He can't remember, did she ever say anything about not liking garlic. He puts the greens in the salad bowl. Puts it back in the fridge. The dogs have been invited in to the kitchen. They are lying on the kitchen floor watching him. He sets the table. He has no napkins so he folds paper towels carefully under the forks. Gramma Wizynski would be pleased. Forks on the left. Napkin under the forks. You need to know how to do it Stanley. You just need to know. The Protestants judge us. You have to know things. All those lessons in manners she insisted on. The table seems too bare. He finds a cloth someone brought him from Mexico. There are candles somewhere. He finds a big red candle someone brought him at Christmas. And two smaller yellow ones. He puts the two yellow ones in glasses and puts them all on the table. Takes everything off, re-sets the table with the Mexican cloth on the table. Sneaks outside, goes down three houses. Cuts five roses from the neighbor's yard. He thinks she makes me a flower thief. Sneaks back in. Puts them in a milk pitcher on the table. Opens a wine. Puts the wine on the table. Shreds Parmesan, puts it on the table. She'll be impressed. Some cheese a smokey cheddar. Some crackers on a bright red plate. Plate from when he was with Annie. One of Annie’s favorites. She'll see I've changed. Domestic. Maybe she doesn't want me to be changed. She just wants me to stop these notes. And she fucked me for old time sake. There is knocking on the front door. All three dogs run to the door barking frantically.  
Stanley commands them to sit, stay. They look sadly at him but obey. He holds his hand up toward them.  
Stanley: Stay.  
The dogs do as they are told. Stanley opens the door.  
Tracy is standing there. In boots, jeans and a big loose soft t-shirt. Sparkling earnings. Diamonds. From the Frenchman maybe. A big leather bag. She is holding a bottle of wine.  
Tracy: You got a hair cut.  
Stanley: Long hair wasn't a statement of anything.  
Tracy: You cut your hair for me.  
Stanley: Think that if you want.  
Tracy: So these are the dogs.  
Stanley: The big soulful fellow is Fritz. A real purebred German Shepard. A failed Army dog. Too thoughtful. Had to think everything over before he would act. We get along fine. I try to consult him before I act on impulse. Just stand still, he'll have a sniff maybe give you a little kiss on the hand. The brutish looking fellow next to him is Eric. A pit bull. But as sweet as a lamb. They are all rescues. Someone left Eric by the freeway. He just sat there waiting. He’s an optimist. And the feisty little one is Elena. She is possessive and withdraws if things don’t go her way.  
Tracy stands still. Eric comes to her, gives her a sniff then sits down at her feet. Fritz gives her a sniff, a quick lick on her hand and goes to sit next to Stanley. Elena turns her back, goes in the kitchen and goes in the corner, lies down with her back to them.  
Stanley: Sorry. She's jealous. Probably a girl thing.  
Tracy laughs.  
Tracy: The table looks nice.  
Stanley: We are having lasagna and salad and cherry brownies a friend of mine from the dog park contributed.  
Tracy: You've gone to a lot of trouble. It's nice of you.  
Stanley: We probably should have just gone out.  
Tracy: It's nice of you to have me here Stanley. It will be more comfortable than a restaurant. We can relax here. Is there anything I can do?  
Stanley: There is a plate there with some crackers and cheese. I'll finish up in the kitchen. You could pour us each a glass of wine and then come into the kitchen and talk to me while I get the salad dressed and the lasagna out. And you could light the candles.  
Tracy: Candles?  
Stanley: Of course candles.

They have cleared the table. Washed the dishes. Tracy has taken off her boots. She is now sitting on the couch. Eric is next to her with his head in her lap. He is sleeping, snoring softly. Stanley is sitting at the table. Fritz at his feet. Elena is back in the kitchen. Her back to them. On the table are pieces of paper.  
Stanley: These are all you remember? Could there be more?  
Tracy: Yes. Maybe.  
Stanley: They are all almost the same. Pay. Someone must pay. Was there ever one that gave an amount or mentioned money at all.  
Tracy: No.  
Stanley: And never any threat of harm. Never someone must die.  
Tracy: No they were all the same. Except the one which might not be related that said I was on TV. And one that said I eat too much salt. And one that said I'm not kidding. And those two were paired, one followed the other immediately. Then again someone has to pay for Joey Tai's death. Email's 6 and 7 I think. Neither could be printed or copies and they disappeared just like the someone must pay ones .  
Stanley: And nothing in the US Mail and no phone calls. No hang ups. Just Twitter, e-mail and Facebook.  
Tracy: And maybe related, maybe unrelated, the car. And the rapist making amends.  
Stanley: When was the last one?  
Tracy gets up. Eric jumps up and follows her. She leans over and looks at the papers. Eric sits down at her feet.  
Tracy: This one. This is the last e-mail. He or she said, "Someone must pay for Joey Tai's death" Then "I'm not kidding."  
Stanley: Had you told anyone about these? Had you said to anyone I think this might be a joke.  
Tracy: I only told the people I hired.  
Stanley: Who did you hire?  
Tracy: Well, I guess I did talk to someone one. I talked to the CEO of the station I work for now Stephen Montgomery and Bradley Cummings at my old station. Brad was always supportive of me. He was in programming when I was there. Gradually moved up. Runs the place now. We got threatening letters then. Everybody on air did. Even the weather guy. I told him I'd had some threats and I asked him who they used and he gave me the name they used now and it was the same name our station was using so I called them.  
Stanley: What did they charge?  
Tracy: It was $3000.  
Stanley: Was Bradley at the funeral? Did he go out with you?  
Tracy: He was at the funeral. But he didn't go out with us.  
Stanley: Did he ever ask you out? Anything like that.  
Tracy: Maybe. I got asked out a lot there in those days. Maybe he hinted around a little. He was married I think. Nothing I remember.  
Stanley: Was he involved with anything with Chinatown.  
Tracy: He was in programming. He set up what went on the air. Controlled it. I don't think he cared much what went on, wanted people to watch, advertisers to be happy. Good balance. No FCC violations. It couldn't be him.  
Stanley: Why not?  
Tracy: Why would it be?  
Stanley: Do you remember anything about how you could get in contact with this person.  
Tracy: Like did they leave a number? No they didn't leave a number.  
Stanley: Anything at all. Did you have a feeling you were being watched any time.  
Tracy: After I started getting them I felt watched all the time.  
Stanley: Was there anything in the notes that made you think you had been seen at a particular time or place.  
Tracy: No. Yes. Wait. Once. Maybe. The salt one .  
Tracy looks through the notes on the table.  
Tracy: This one. I should have told you. It was deleted but I wrote it down. It said the usual. Then it said "Salt is bad for you."  
Stanley: Salt is bad for you? What does that mean? What do you salt? I haven't seen you salt anything.  
Tracy: I don't salt things. I never salt anything. Except popcorn. In the theaters. I put lots of extra salt on the popcorn. I stand at the condiment counter after I get it and I salt it. If they don't have a salt shaker. I stand there and open the packets. I open them one after the other til the popcorn is very salty. It's just the way I like it.  
Stanley: When is the last time you did that?  
Tracy: A month ago.  
Stanley: So either this person has been to a movie with you or was following you or bumped into you accidentally. What movie?  
Tracy: It was part of a retrospective. Patrick Swayze. I went to see Ghost.  
Stanley: Do you remember bumping into anyone?  
Tracy: No.  
Stanley: Who were you with?  
Tracy: A man from CNN. A young guy. 30s. Girl friend broke up with him. Dean Chase. Likes Swayze. Likes Demi Moore. He asked me to go. He stood patiently while I salted the popcorn. Laughed about it. It's not him. How could it be.  
Stanley: It could be anyone. What theater?  
Tracy: The Paris Theater in Manhattan. Wait. There is something else. Something else from that night. But it's nothing. It can't be related.  
Stanley: Tell me.  
Tracy: He drove. He has a car. When we walked out, there was a Chinese boy leaning against the car. His car. I think he was a boy. Tight pants. The gangster hair. Long bouffant on top. Close on the sides. The shinny purple silk jacket the tight pants the ankle boots. He moved away from the car as we came up. I felt anxiety for a minute he reminded me of the boys who raped me. I thought he had a knife, but it was a phone. He was just holding a phone. But he moved away from the car. Just sort of sauntered away, then he turned and over his shoulder said, “I think you've got a flat mister.” And Dean looked carefully at all the tires. But the car looked okay. Dean got in and the car has all the read outs and it said tire pressure normal. It was weird but I forgot all about it. We talked about the movie. About Patrick Swayze. It was nothing.  
Stanley: Yeah. No. It was something. You didn't see him in the theater.  
Tracy: No. No. Just by the car.  
Stanley: Never saw him before.  
Tracy: No. Not before not after. I didn't see him in the theater.  
Stanley: How long after the movie did you get the note. Do you remember.  
Tracy takes out her phone. Looks up the date of the movie.  
Tracy: About 4 days I think.  
Stanley: And it was an e-mail.  
Tracy: I cancelled my twitter account. I cancelled my Facebook account. I can't delete my TV station e-mail account. That is where the notes are being sent now. The company that looked into it said they might be able to put something on the account that would prevent the messages from being deleted or maybe trace them but they haven't done it yet.  
Stanley: It's getting late. Would you stay? Tonight. It's a long drive back alone. I have a guest room. Or I could drive you back. I don't mind.  
Tracy: Why would I want a guest room?  
Stanley: There is something I have to tell you before we go to bed.  
Tracy: Are you seeing someone?  
Stanley: Of course not. I would have told you. It's the dogs. If we have have sex..  
Tracy: If we have sex?  
Stanley: Let me finish. If we have sex, the dogs will stand and watch us. If we keep them out they are going to scratch on the door. I can tell them to stop but they won't. And after, if we open the door they will want to get in bed with us. I think that is what will happen. I've actually never fucked anyone here.  
Tracy: How do you know then?  
Stanley: Just know my dogs. Haven’t had a woman here overnight. Don't know why I asked you here.  
Tracy: Because you want me here. We could go out in the car. Might be interesting.  
Stanley: Let's take the dogs for a walk.  
Stanley gathers up the dogs' leashes. Tracy puts her boots on, gets a jacket out of the car.

*

They walk down toward the water, to the park there. Stanley takes the leashes off the dogs. They run to the water's edge. Run along the shore. Chase each other. Stanley and Tracy walk over to a picnic table. One in the shadows. There is no one in the park.  
Stanley: Take off your sweater.  
Tracy: No. I’ll be cold.  
Stanley: I’ll keep you warm. Give me your sweater.  
She gives him her sweater. He spreads it out on the top of the picnic table, lifts Tracy up, sits her on the sweater on the edge of the picnic table.  
Stanley puts his hands on her knees, pushes her legs apart.  
He steps in between her legs. Puts his arms around her. Kisses her. Reaches down, unzips her pants. Steps back a little.  
Stanley: Raise up.  
He slides her jeans down. Takes them off. Unzips his pants, slides his pants down.  
Tracy: Are you going to fuck me in this park? On this picnic table.  
Stanley: Seems so.  
He leans over her and pushes her back.

*

They are back at his house in bed. Tracy on his left. Eric manages to get in between them in the bed. He seems enormously pleased. He puts his head on Tracy whenever he can. Fritz gives up, can't find enough space, jumps off the bed and lies down on the floor next to Stanley. The chihuahua Elena goes in and sleeps on the couch. Her back to the bedroom door.

Early morning. Tracy gets up first. Eric jumps off the bed and follows her. Tracy rummages through the kitchen and finds coffee. She is filling the Mr. Coffee when Stanley comes in.  
Stanley: Make yourself at home.  
Tracy: Okay.  
Stanley: I wanted you to stay in bed a little longer. Come back to bed.  
Stanley pulls her toward the bedroom.  
Tracy: What about these dogs?  
Stanley: I'll explain it to them later.  
Tracy: Won't they scratch on the door?  
Stanley: I can ignore them if you can.  
Tracy: I can ignore them. I barely know them.

4


	8. The Hat You wore in Chinatown

They are sitting at his table. They have coffee. There is a plate with the cherry brownies that were left from the night before. Tracy is eating one.  
Tracy: These are so good. Who made them?  
Stanley: A friend from the dog park,Sarah. She has two Dachshunds.  
Tracy: How good a friend?  
Stanley: Pretty good. She’s 28, teaches 5th grade.  
Tracy: 28 huh.  
Stanley: I’m not her type.  
Tracy: But she gives you brownies. What is her type?  
Stanley: You are her type. She prefers women.  
Eric is asleep at Tracy’s feet. Fritz is in the back yard, Elena is back curled up on the couch. On the table are the papers Tracy brought.  
Stanley: Okay. Let me be detective now.  
Tracy: Do you still have that hat?  
Stanley: What hat?  
Tracy: The hat you wore in Chinatown.  
Stanley: Yeah somewhere.  
Tracy: Put it on.  
Stanley leaves, goes in the bedroom, rummages through the closet, comes back in the hat. Eric looks up, growls softly. Stanley takes the hat off, leans down rubs Eric behind the ears, puts the hat back on. Eric wags his tail, goes back to sleep.  
Stanley wearing the hat: Happy now? Ready to be interrogated?  
Tracy: Ready.  
Stanley: Okay, I’m not going to interrogate you. I’m going summarize. Stop me if I have anything thing wrong. Okay if I write on your papers?  
Tracy: Okay.  
Stanley: In early February or maybe late January, you got a tweet that said “You are the reporter that started all the trouble in China town.”  
He picks up a paper, tapes it to the dining room wall. Puts a “1” on it.  
Stanley: You don’t remember the sender’s name, you think it might have been Wang or Wong or Long or even Jong. You didn’t block the sender and the tweet was deleted by the sender. You didn’t pay any attention to it and only later thought about it and that it was related to the others. Stanley adds a “?” Sender to the note on the wall.  
Stanley: Then you got the first, let’s call them threats, you got the first threat. It was to your work email and it said “Someone must pay for Joey Tai’s death.” And you tried to print it and a message said this text cannot be printed. So you wrote it down and that sender was a Wang1985 at gmail. After you tried to print it the email disappeared.  
Stanley puts the paper on the wall below the first one.  
Tracy: What are you doing?  
Stanley: I’m laying out the case.  
Stanley: Then the same message on Twitter. From a Long or maybe Leong. Quickly deleted. That’s three. Puts the third piece of paper on the wall. Writes “3” and Leong with a “?”  
Tracy: Right.  
Stanley: Then your car is broken into nothing is taken.  
Stanley draws a car. Puts the drawing on the wall. “4”  
Stanley: Then the funeral.  
Stanley draws a headstone with RIP. Writes a “5” on the paper.  
Stanley: Then another Twitter message. Wang1985 again, or maybe 1985Wang or Wong, quickly deleted. That’s “6.“ The same with Facebook but this time it is Leong1985. And you get a screenshot before it’s deleted. That’s “7“ You text back but no account exists. you can’t contact them. The account has been deleted. Then you go to the retrospective and find the boy by the car and then you get two e-mails in rapid succession. The first is just a repeat of someone must pay. But the second says “You eat too much salt” That’s “8” Both can’t be printed. Both disappear.  
Tracy gets up. Walks over to the wall. Touches each of the pieces of paper Stanley has taped up.  
Tracy: I don’t get it. If these are all related someone is wasting a lot of time on me. Why?  
Stanley: That’s what we are figuring out. When was the visit from your rapist.  
Tracy: We went to see Ghost on Saturday. On Tuesday, the next Tuesday the rapist came in. But on Monday, when I got the e-mails I called the security people. They suggested I delete Twitter and Facebook, which I had already done.  
Stanley: So “9” you call security, so “10” you delete Facebook account, “11” you delete Twitter “12” Your old rapist appears. “13”.  
Stanley adds papers for each.  
Your security people find nothing. Tell you it’s a hoax or a troll. “14”  
Tracy: Then two more disappearing e-mails. “15” Someone must pay. And then  
“16” I’m not kidding. Both from Wang1985III@gmail. But when you try to reach that email it doesn’t exist.  
Tracy: That’s it.  
Stanley: Check your work e-mail.  
Tracy: Now?  
Stanley: Now.  
Tracy uses her phone.  
Tracy: There's an e-mail from Leung5891@gmail.  
Stanley: Open it.  
Tracy: It says “you can run but you can’t hide.“  
Stanley: “17.“  
Tracy: I feel like I have gum on my shoe and I can’t get it off.  
Stanley: We are going to get the gum off your shoe. I am going to get the gum off your shoe.  
Tracy: You know I still love you.  
Stanley: Didn’t know that.  
Tracy: It’s the hat.  
Stanley: Thinking of taking off the hat, taking you in the bedroom and closing the door on the dogs.  
Tracy: Leave the hat on.


	9. Flowers Brought to the Hotel

Tracy is wearing the hat and a towel around her waist.  
Stanley: Come over here.  
Tracy walks over to him. He pulls the towel off.  
Stanley: Just the hat. Can I take a picture with my phone.  
Tracy: No.  
Tracy puts the towel back on goes into the bedroom and dresses.  
Stanley: You can dress out here so I can watch.  
Tracy: You are supposed to be helping me. Not just ogling me.  
Stanley: Planning to help you and ogle you. Planning more than ogling.  
Tracy: What is going on Stanley?  
Stanley:You are still the most beautiful woman I ever made love to.  
Tracy: The threats, Stanley, the threats.  
Stanley: Okay. Cui Bono?  
Tracy: Who benefits? No one.  
Stanley: Always a benefit to someone. So far this person has gotten your attention. Has insinuated themselves into your life. Is filling up their time thinking about you, writing to you, watching you, getting near you. But not near enough for you to catch a real glimpse of them. They’ve watched you. Maybe followed you from the station home. They are connected to 1985 somehow. Or want you to think they are. They are not writing anything overt enough to get law enforcement excited. The salt thing is interesting. They worry or pretend to worry about your health, well being.  
Tracy: Isn’t it just showing off. Saying I know details about you. Showing off they’ve gotten close enough to know something sort of intimate, no I don’t mean intimate, I mean personal. Like they have a personal relationship with me.  
Stanley: They want to see you but don’t want to be seen. A peeper. Like the guy who peeks through the window at the girl undressing in her room and jerks off into the bushes.  
Tracy: Crude, but you think it’s like that.  
Stanley: It is like that except for the Joey Tai part. Pay for his death. Tracy you could ignore it and wait to see if the, wait let‘s give him or her a name, let’s call him or her Wong1985 will get tired of you, this. Just forget about it. Delete everything, just keep deleting. Change e-mail addresses. Just treat the messages like SPAM. A troll might, likely would, get bored eventually. Would move on. But a real stalker or someone with an agenda might up the ante. Might become more aggressive.  
Tracy: What do you recommend?  
Stanley: Force Wong1985 out into the open enough so we can see him or her. See him and put our hands on him or her.  
Tracy: How?  
Stanley: Close your work email down. This email is not accepting....Take a month off from your job. No announcements. Just on air filling in for a Tracy Tzu who will be away for a month on personal leave. Make Wong1985 have to work harder to know what you are doing. Harder to see you. Have to come out in the open. If Wong1985 is a annoying but harmless troll he’ll go away, if not he’ll get frustrated and work harder to get to you and we’ll be able to see him.  
Tracy: Where would I go. What would I do?  
Stanley: Come here.  
Tracy: And do what.  
Stanley: Make me happy.  
Tracy: That sounds like a plan that would benefit you. Maybe you’re Wong1985.  
Stanley: Can’t be me. I didn’t know you madly salted your popcorn.  
Tracy: Say I block him, what will he do.  
Stanley: If he’s serious not just having a few troll laughs, he’ll try harder to get to you. He’ll be frustrated. He’ll call the station. Try to find out where you are. If he has access, he’ll look to see where you've used your credit cards. The station is the most likely target. He’ll talk to reception, security, people you work with. He’ll pose as a relative, a friend from out of town. He’ll deliver a convincing story. He'll say he is delivering a package, is an old school pal. Your estranged mother sister brother is dying of cancer and needs to find you. Anything to get them to talk to him.  
Tracy: Well, how will that help us.  
Tracy: So he’ll find out I’m here.  
Stanley: He’ll come here after you maybe.  
Tracy: Is he dangerous. Would he hurt me? Try to kill me?  
Stanley: Hasn’t been dangerous so far, but he hasn’t been frustrated so far. This is a stalker. Stalkers are obsessive. Compulsive. Intense. Often delusional. They do things that don’t make sense to other people. The more we frustrate him the more dangerous he could become. If the reason he is doing this isn’t sex or money, maybe something delusional. Revenge maybe but a long time in coming.  
Tracy: You’re intense, obsessive. You were. In Chinatown.  
Stanley: Maybe similar, my intensity, my single mindedness. I’m not delusional. Never delusional.  
Tracy: So what now Sherlock?  
Stanley: We could go on a trip somewhere.  
Tracy: Where?  
Stanley: Someplace they speak English. Somewhere he can't find you.  
Tracy: Like England?  
Stanley: Canada?  
Tracy: South Africa?  
Stanley: Italy?  
Tracy: The speak Italian in Italy.  
Stanley: Everybody speaks English in Italy.  
Tracy: You are so cracked Stanley.  
Stanley: By you dropping out of sight, we might be able to get him to show himself.  
Tracy: You want to use me as bait? Is that it? I disappear but I leave a clue so you can watch him come after me.  
Stanley: I said we should go away somewhere. Maybe he will forget all about you.  
Tracy: But you were thinking about luring him out weren't you. Weren't you? Admit it.  
Stanley: You said you wanted this stopped. If ignoring him won’t stop it, then to stop it we have to find who is doing it. And he's been close to you. Close enough to know you over-salt your popcorn. And close enough to know you were told by investigators not to worry about him, it is probably a hoax. He may think hoax means joke. He uses an apostrophe "s" after Joey Tai's name. His written English is good. Sometimes these stalker types are torn between staying hidden and letting someone know how clever they are, bragging about how clever they’ve been. He is getting bolder. The "salt" and the "kidding" comment. He wants you to know he has been close to you. And the run comment. He wants you to know he monitors you pretty constantly. Call the hotel, see if anyone has left any messages for you.  
Tracy sits down at the dining table. Calls the hotel. Asks if there have been any messages.  
Tracy: Oh. No. Thank you I wasn't expecting any. In my room. You didn’t let them in my room? Oh okay, of course not. Thank you. I am with friends in the East Bay. Do you have somewhere you could donate them. Yes. Please that would be lovely. Thank you.  
She hangs up.  
Tracy: Stanley, you didn't send me flowers did you?  
Stanley: No. I did steal five roses from a neighbor for the table for you though.  
Tracy: Stanley, now I am afraid. Someone brought flowers a couple of hours ago. To the hotel. Was highly insistent on putting in the room himself. Wanted the room number. Some story about a surprise. Had to put them in himself. The hotel is old - they have smart, well-experienced staff. Seen all the tricks. They refused. The flowers had to be left at the front desk. That is where they are. Did I want them sent up. I said no.  
Stanley: It's an old trick. They either let him go up and he’s got your room number or they take the flowers up. And he follows. But there are cameras. We can see him. It may not be Wong1985, but it will be someone connected to him. Check your e-mail.  
Stanley: I'm going to call my dog sitter. And then we are going to go to the hotel to see if we can look at some security tape.  
Tracy starts to cry. Starts shivering. Stanley walks over puts his arms around her. Caresses her hair. Don't cry. Kisses her cheeks, then her lips lightly.  
Tracy: How did he find me?  
Stanley: My guess is someone at the station talked. We can probably figure it out.  
Tracy: What does he want?  
Stanley: Doesn't matter what he wants. I am gong to keep you safe this time. No one is going to hurt you.  
Tracy: Maybe we should take Fritz and Eric.  
Stanley: Elena's the tough one.  
Stanley: Actually Fritz could be protection. He washed-out as a Army dog I told you but he knows all the commands. Has all the training. And when he doesn’t have to think things over or after he’s thought things over he can rip a guys throat out.  
Stanley: Tracy, look at me. I will keep you safe.  
Tracy: Like you did Herbert Wong.  
Stanley: Ouch. Tracy, you just flew across the country for my help but it sounds like you don't really trust me.  
Tracy: I take it back.  
Stanley: Can’t take it back.  
Tracy: Stanley, I don't know why I said that. I am sorry.  
Stanley: You said it because you are scared. And before I didn't protect you, you were raped. And I didn't protect Herbert. And he died. I can't undo what happened then. But this is different. I am focused on you this time not on taking down some Chinese drug-dealing triad boss. Focused on your safety.  
Tracy: You better be.


	10. Cameron the Dog Sitter Comes

A 15 year old boy knocks on Stanley’s door then walks in. Shorts. T-Shirt. Flip flops.  
Boy: Hey Stanley. I’m here.  
Elena runs to him. Jumps up and down barking. He picks her up. Kisses her on the nose. She licks his face.  
Boy: How’s my favorite girl?  
Elena’s licking continues.  
Eric looks torn, he wags his stump of a tail but doesn’t leave Tracy. Fritz gives a short bark a big tail wag and saunters over.  
The boy looks at Tracy.  
Boy: Hi. I’m Cameron. I’m the dog guy. Stanley pays me $15 an hour to stay with them. It’s a good gig for me. I live with my mom and three sisters. I wish Stanley would let me just move in here. I could be his dog nanny.  
Stanley walks in.  
Stanley: Tracy meet Cameron. Cameron this is Tracy Tzu. Are you still Tzu or do you have some Roger’s name now?  
Tracy laughs: Still Tzu.  
Stanley: Tracy is a news anchor on a morning show in New York.  
Cameron: What station?  
Tracy: KPRW in New York. It’s a Chinese station.  
Cameron: Are you Chinese?  
Tracy: I was born here. Mostly Chinese.  
Cameron: Are you and Stanley you know?  
Tracy laughs again.  
Tracy: Stanley and I lived together for a couple of years in New York. Long time ago.  
Cameron: So how long do you want me for today Stanley?  
Stanley: Why don’t you plan to stay over. I’ll pay you for 24 hours. If we get back early, you can go home early. You have the cell number.  
Cameron: yeah of course man.  
Tracy and Stanley go out front. Look at the two cars.  
Tracy: Which car?  
Stanley: Mine. I’ll drive.  
Tracy: No. Mine. I’ll drive.  
Stanley: I want to drive.  
Tracy: You still think Asians can’t drive.  
Stanley: Cops have a Cause of Accident code: OBW.  
Tracy: What does that even mean?  
Stanley: It means oriental behind wheel OBW  
Tracy: They do not. They could never get away with that now. You are still such a racist  
Stanley: Used to have it. Stereotypes don't exist in a vacuum.  
Tracy: What does that mean?  
Stanley: You fuck know what it means.  
He walks to the passenger door of the Subaru, holds it open for her. Tracy walks to the driver’s side of her car.  
Stanley: I’m telling you to get in here.  
Tracy: I’m a perfectly good driver.  
But she closes the driver’s door of her car and walks to the open passenger door of Stanley’s car, slides into the seat, fastens the seat belt, glares at Stanley. He closes the door. Smiles. Walks around gets in the driver’s seat.  



	11. Wong1985 Shows Himself

The traffic is light on The Bayshore.  
Stanley: Get your phone out. Call the hotel. Tell them you are a guest there and you would like to speak to Head of Security, that you have had a stalker and he may have been in the hotel with flowers for you.  
Tracy: Now?  
Stanley Now.  
Tracy calls.  
Tracy: No there is no problem. The manager first? No. I don’t need the manager. No. No, I really don’t need the manager. Hello. Yes I appreciate that thank you, I understand your job is to help but I am here with a policeman and he tells me I need to talk to the Head of Security for the hotel. I appreciate ...  
Stanley: Hand me the phone.  
Tracy: No. you’re driving.  
Stanley: Hand me the phone.  
She glares at him but hands him the phone.  
Stanley: Yeah, who’s this? Okay. This is Detective Martin Perez, Detective Bureau LAPD.Get me your fucking head of security fucking now.  
Stanley: Yeah hello. Sorry. Well I’m not really Detective Martin Perez. Was having a little trouble getting through the hotel manager. I’m sure you’re right, he just wants to help. Yeah. Good to talk to you Mr. Harris. I’m ex LAPD, and before that I was NYPD. Ms. Tzu is a friend of mine. She has talked to me about her worries about a stalker and I’m trying to help her. Yeah Stanley White. Yeah I’ve been out for awhile got too old, but you can call Lou *** he’s NYPD Deputy police commissioner now. He knows me and Ms. Tzu. Yeah I knew Marcus Wilkinson at LAPD. Chief of Detectives. He’s been retired as long as I have, he is a good man. Fair. Yeah okay. But call him if you want.  
Stanley is weaving a little with the phone.  
Tracy whispers: OWGWPBW. Old White guy with phone behind wheel.  
Stanley: A stalker for about three months. Never shows himself. Flowers delivered this morning to your hotel. No one should have known where she was staying. She thought no one knew where she was staying. We think it’s him. I want to look at the video. He came to the front desk. Wanted to put them in her room himself. Was pretty insistent. Might have been planning to wait in the room for her. Front desk was good. Kept the flowers. Didn’t even send them up. About 45 minutes if there isn’t a jackknife on the bridge. Is there a back entrance Ms. Tzu could use. I think he might be in the lobby waiting for her, I don’t want her walking thru the lobby. Okay. Yeah. Yeah appreciate it. I’ll call you when we’re there.Yeah Sorry about the ruse. Yeah thanks.

*

They pull up on a side street. Stanley calls asks for Gary Harris in Security.  
Stanley: Hey.Thanks. We’re out here. You’ll stay with her. Okay thanks

A huge man 6’4”, 300 lbs in a suit comes out an unmarked door. Stanley puts the flashers on and gets out walks around to Tracy’s door. She already has the door open. Staley opens it the rest of the way. Offers his hand. She ignores his hand. Gets out walks around to Harris. Extends her hand.  
Harris: Nice to meet you Miss Tzu. I think I know you. You on TV in New York? Some Chinese station?  
Tracy: W***. In the mornings.  
Harris: I’ve seen you. My daughter and her husband adopted a Chinese girl, 2 year old and my daughter has Chinese TV on a lot. Every morning when you’re on. My daughter is trying to learn Chinese. Wants the kid to be bilingual. You seem real good.  
Tracy: Thank you.  
Stanley: I’m going to valet park. I’ll meet you in your office. Appreciate if you don’t let Ms Tzu out of your sight.  
Tracy: Stanley. I’m sure Mr. Harris knows what he’s doing.  
Tracy goes inside through the unmarked door with Harris. Stanley goes to the front and leaves the car with the valet. 

*

Tracy is sitting laughing has a glass of wine and a sandwich when Stanley walks in.  
Stanley: These fancy hotels serve wine and sandwiches in Security offices?  
Harris: Hotel Security has many perks. Room service budget is one of them. Can I get you wine, beer? Soda? Sandwich?  
Stanley shakes his head.  
Tracy: I had only a brownie this morning. I was starving. You should eat something Stanley.  
Stanley: Maybe some spareribs later.  
Harris has half a dozen framed pictures of a beautiful little Asian girl scattered on and behind his desk. Standing next to a sheep dog larger than she is. Being held aloft by a young man both of them laughing. Sitting in the lap of a young blonde woman Both smiling. One on Santa‘s lap. Wearing spotted cow costume standing next to a jack o lantern  
Tracy: She‘s beautiful isn’t she?  
Stanley: She is.  
Harris: Only grandchild. Son killed in Iraq. Never married. No kids. Daughter and her husband hesitated about adopting a Chinese girl. Feared a scam. Went great. Joy of my life. 2 more years here then moving back to New York. Full time grandpa. Stanley you by any chance THE Captain Stanley White. I was in NYPD before I went to Denver. In Queens.  
Harris: I heard about a Stanley White.  
Stanley: Might be me. Not sure what you heard.  
Harris: Chinatown? Heard the bureaucracy rolled over a good man a Stanley White. That he was an honest cop. A cops‘ cop. Took down a triad. Annoyed the hell out of downtown. Shook things up too much. Like to shake your hand.  
Stanley: Had some trouble with the Review Board, went to Detroit, then LAPD.  
Tracey: We’re here about my stalker. Could we see the tape from the desk this morning.  
Stanley: Mandarin. Thinks she’s royalty.  
Harris: Sure thing ma’am. Easiest if we just go up to the room where the monitors are.  
They leave Harris’s office, go up a back elevator to the second floor.  
Harris: I have my office in the first floor. Visibility. But most of Security is at the back of two. Never know we were here. Precaution. Part of the floor is ours. Invisible unless you know it’s here.

Harris shows them into large room. A uniformed man and woman are sitting facing a wall of monitors.  
Harris: Wait in there.  
He shows them into a small conference room with swivel chairs a desk, table several phones and a wall with 2 rows of 4 monitors all dark. Harris goes out and talks to the man and woman sitting facing a wall of monitors. Looks at his watch. The man begins typing and the monitors in the room where Tracy and Stanley are sitting light up.  
Harris: I called before you came. The flowers were brought by a man about 10:30. He seemed nervous. The clerk thought he might be this is a quote “tweaking.” I think he meant speedy maybe on meth or something, maybe just wound up and anxious. Acted like he was a delivery guy. Had on a hoody. To the clerk he looked Eurasian. Not white but not Asian. Got a little angry with desk clerk who told him he couldn’t take up the flowers. A second clerk came over to support the first clerk and your suspect left. He muttered something about “no tip” but that might have been a cover for his anger at not being allowed to go to the room. Both clerks felt something about him wasn’t right. He left, but one clerk though he saw him sitting in the lobby later. He’d taken off the hoodie and was in a Hawaiian shirt then.  
Stanley: This is a nice set up. Let’s have a look.  
On the screen of the middle monitor there is a slightly faster than real time view of the front desk. People coming and going, presenting credit cards, signing papers, the clerks back and forth at the computer screen.  
Stanley: There he is.  
A man head down in a hoodie approaches the desk holding a large arrangement of flowers. The flowers obscure his face and upper body.  
Harris: Law says we can’t record sound. Stupid law. The clerks says he said he was there to take the flowers to Tracy Tzu that she had ordered them and he forgot her room number and would they just help him out so he didn’t lose his job. Laid it on thick. But he seemed off. The more they said they’d take care of it the more he insisted he had to do it. You can see they are going back and forth. There the other clerk comes over. He puts the flowers down. There you can see his face. See the Hawaiian shirt under the hoodie. Do you know him Ms Tzu.  
Tracy: No. yes. Maybe. Stanley?  
Stanley: He’s familiar but I can’t place him. You do anything with facial recognition.  
Harris: We could. I been pushing for it. The management won’t do it. Think it would be bad publicity, ruin the tetatet business or something.  
Stanley: So we have a speeded up probably Eurasian guy who knew Tracy was here and wanted to get in her room.  
Harris: Looks like it.  
Stanley: Can we find him in the waiting room. See what he did there.  
Harris pulls a keyboard to himself begins running through views of the lobby.  
Harris: This our guy?  
A man in a Hawaiian shirt is looking at a phone. He is sitting with an unobstructed view of the main doors.  
Stanley: That’s our guy.  
Tracy: Stanley there is something you don’t know about me. I need to tell you, I have prosopagnosia.  
Stanley: No I didn’t know you had that. I don’t even know what that is. You know what that is Harris?  
Harris: Yeah, I took a class in witness testimony. They covered it. It’s hard to pronounce. It means face blindness. People can’t recognize faces, they depend on voices or the way someone moves, walks, tilts their head to identify people. You have that Ms Tzu? You get this guy and he goes to trial some enterprising defense attorney gets you disqualified for it as a witness. He walks.  
Stanley: You have that?  
Tracy: I have that. I go to a movie, unless one character has blond hair and the other black if they are the same height and weight I can’t tell them apart. If I come up to someone, I often don’t know who they are until they speak or move.  
Stanley: Great.  
Tracy: I was born with it.  
Harris: She was born with it.  
Stanley: Well I don’t have it. How long was he there.  
Harris: He’s restless gets up goes to the front door, goes out talks to the valets.  
Harris switches to a view of the valets.  
Harris: It looks like he is showing them a picture.  
The video clearly shows the man showing the valets something then offering them bills.  
Stanley: Can you zoom in?  
Harris: You want to know what he is willing to spend?  
Stanley: Yeah. I do.  
Harris: Looks like two maybe three hundreds.  
The valets glance up toward the camera, shake their heads.  
Harris: They know the camera is there, we can talk to them, but we can’t stop them from arranging to meet him later. If I were you Ms. Tzu, I’d go somewhere else.  
Tracy: Please call me Tracy.  
Harris: Okay sure. Thanks Ms Tzu, Tracy.Could I have your autograph for my daughter.  
Tracy: Of course. I don’t have any pictures with me, but when I get back I’d gladly send her one. An autographed one. Do you have something you would like me to autograph.  
Stanley is watching the video.  
Stanley: He stands there for awhile with the valets. I want to talk to them.  
Harris looks around the office.  
Tracy: Do you have a picture of her that is not in a frame?  
Harris reaches in his desk, pulls out a photo album. Takes one out.  
Tracy: How about I sign this on the back.  
Harris: Yes please that would be great.  
Tracy writes “I see in this picture you are very beautiful and I’ll bet you are very smart too. Best wishes, Tracy Tzu. “  
Harris: Thank you, Ms. Tzu. This will mean a lot to my daughter.  
Stanley: I’m happy you still have such a big fan club, but I’d like to get this guy.  
Harris: I don’t see him in the lobby now. He comes back in after the valets. Looks like he tries to make conversation at the front desk when the earlier two clerks leave. Sits back down, walks around. Gets on an elevator. Seems he just rides it up then back down. Sits back down does something with his phone. Then leaves.  
Stanley: Check your email Tracy.  
Tracy: Okay.  
Tracy takes out her phone.  
Tracy: There’s an e-mail.  
Stanley: Who from?  
Tracy: Whom?  
Stanley: You want to correct my grammar or you want me to catch this scumbag.  
Tracy: It’s from Wong85@PacificRim. The subject line is bitch - all caps.  
Stanley: Wait a minute.  
Stanley gets out his phone. Sets it to camera. Holds his phone over Tracy’s.  
Stanley: Open it.  
Stanley photographs the message.  
Stanley: Hit screenshot. Then reply, then draft.Then read it.  
Tracy: Okay. It says “I didn’t say you could leave New York. Go back now. And don’t leave again. I don’t want to hurt you.” It’s gone. And it didn’t copy to reply. Do you want me to reply?  
Stanley: Yeah. Say, I would have asked permission to leave New York but I don’t know how to reach you.  
Stanley: Send it.  
Tracy: Are you sure about this?  
Stanley: No. Now write what’s with the flowers.  
Tracy types it out sends it. Waits.  
Tracy: Flower e-mail bounced back. But maybe the first one went through.  
Harris: What can I do to help?  
Stanley: You’ve been a big help. I want to talk to the valets before we leave. It would be good if I could do that with you. But I don’t want to leave Tracy alone.  
Stanley: Tracy I’d like you to get your things and either come home with me or let me take you to another hotel. Is there a back elevator that Tracy could take to her floor without going through the lobby. To get her things unseen.  
Harris: Yeah sure. I’ll send one of our Security people up with her. She can bring her things here to wait even order more room service if she wants. We have a pretty generous room service budget. While she’s getting her things we’ll go talk with the valets. We need to go now, the shift will be changing. Let me call someone for you Tracy.  
He calls and a handsome young guy in plain clothes comes in.  
Harris: This is Carter Phillips. Ex-Army Ranger. Stanley, a few of my guys carry. Carter’s one. Carter this is Miss Tzu. She has a stalker. We want her to be able to get her things and leave the hotel without being seen. The stalker was here spent a good part of the day in our lobby. Schmoozed the valets. We think he left and we don’t think he’s come back. But he could have. We don’t know how dangerous he is.  
Carter: Ms. Tzu will be safe with me.  
Harris: Take her up to her room wait in her room while she packs bring her back here to wait. Room service for whatever she wants. You too Carter. Order whatever you want.  
Carter: Thank you sir. Ms. Tzu, this way.  
Tracy looks at Stanley as if she might kiss him, he shakes his head nearly imperceptibly.  
Tracy: Okay thank you. Carter, I’m ready.  
They leave.  
* Stanley and Harris are talking to the valets.  
Harris: Hey, boys saw on our video a guy here with what looked like a picture. Showed it to you, seemed to talk for a bit. Oh this is Martin Perez retired LAPD. Could you tell us about the guy. The picture. You first. What’s your name.  
Valet: Stephen sir I’m Stephen. I just started I don’t think we did anything wrong. He said he was looking for a family friend that the whole family is looking for her and that she’s demented sometimes goes to hotels. Had we seen her. Said she has a rented car she took from someone in the family. We said we hadn’t seen her. We said to check the front desk and to give us his number. But he wouldn’t give us the number. Said he lost his phone. That he’d call us later. He seemed kind of weird. He tried to give us money. He offered us $400 for information. We didn’t take the money.  
Stanley gets out his phone, gets a head-shot of Tracy.  
Stanley: Was this the woman?  
Stephen: Yeah that’s her. She’s pretty.  
Stanley. That she is. He’s a stalker. We think he may be dangerous. Can you answer some questions about him?  
Stephen: We didn’t tell him anything.  
Stanley: How about you? What’s your name?  
Other valet: No we didn’t say anything. I’m Mike.  
Stanley: Did he have any kind of an accent?  
Mike: No just normal English, American English.  
Stanley: Anything odd about him?  
Stephen: He seemed kind of wound-up. I thought maybe he was just worried. But I also thought maybe he was on something.  
Mike: I thought the same thing. More that he was on something. And he smelled a little uh I don’t know stale I guess.  
Stanley: Stale?  
Mike: I used to go to my girlfriend’s down in Brisbane and stay. I wouldn’t have a change or anything. Sometimes I’d stay 2-3 days wearing the same clothes. I wouldn’t be like a homeless guy or anything but she’d say I smelled stale. He smelled like he’d been in the same clothes for a couple of days.  
Stanley: That’s good. Anything else?  
Stephen: I don’t want to freak anybody out but I‘m pretty sure he has a knife. He kept handling something in his pocket. He took it out just for a second and I saw it and I thought is this guy gonna stab us. It looked like those switchblade knives kids used to get in down in Tijuana.  
Harris: They’re illegal in California. Don’t know how he would have gotten it on a plane.  
Stanley: 50 ways to do it.  
Stanley: Anything else?  
Mike: He licked his lips a lot. He seemed a little like a snake. He’d stick his tongue almost like a snake real fast. Then give his lips a quick lick.  
Stephen: Yeah he did.  
Stanley: Age?  
Mike: Looked young, skinny like a teenager, but his face is older, maybe mid-thirties. Scrawny guy. Hard to tell age.  
Stanley: Okay thanks a lot. If he comes back or you see him anywhere or if he calls or you think of anything else, please call Mr. Harris. He’ll get in touch with me.  
Stephen: We’re not in trouble are we.  
Harris: No, you did okay. In the future if somebody ask questions any question at all about a guest or somebody who might be a guest you call me. I'll handle it. You lucked-out. If you’d known something and you’d told him and he’d found a way to get to her and cut her throat that would have been unfortunate. She came day before yesterday and valet parked. Just her good luck and yours, neither of you parked her car.  
Mike: Is she famous or something, rich?  
Stanley: Something.  
Stanley and Harris go back to Harris's office.  
Harris: Let me make some copies of the stalker for you. I can send them to your phone or print a couple or both.  
Stanley: Both. Maybe it will come to me. There is something about the face. 

*

Stanley pulls away from the curb. Where do you want to go?  
Tracy: Your place is fine. That’s what you want isn’t it?  
Stanley: First I need something to eat. I have an odd craving for Chinese food.  
Stanley: Then after I get some food, we could check into a hotel. Or a bed and breakfast. I know a good place in Berkeley. No dogs scratching on the door, go home in the morning. I can call Cameron.  
Tracy: What if Wong1985 finds us? You have a gun?  
Stanley: You know I have a gun.  
Tracy: Where.  
Stanley: Have to search me.  
Tracy: Grow-up. 


	12. Late Dinner at the Drunken Boat

Tracy: No women overnight at your house? How about here?  
They have a large room at The Big Old House bed and breakfast on Telegraph Ave in Berkeley. King size bed. Chintz everywhere. A love seat. A window seat, fireplace. Bistro table and chairs. Fresh flowers there. A sunken tub. Separate shower. large white robes in the closet.  
Stanley: Lets just say a friend introduced me to this place for my birthday a few years ago.  
Tracy: Still a friend?  
Stanley: Yeah. Haven’t seen her for a couple of years. She’s working in Denver at some cancer hospital.  
Tracy: Another nurse.  
Stanley: Nurses are nice. They take care of people.  
Tracy: Crackpot people like you.  
Stanley: Let’s go eat. There’s a place open late down the street. We can walk. Kind of a Country French place.  
They walk north, cross the street to an old house with a garden. Tables in the garden. Strings of white lights from the trees.  
Tracy: That's French for drunken boat. The name of this restaurant. It means drunken boat. It's nice. More quaint.  
Stanley: They serve snails here. You probably like snails. You Chinese, you eat anything that swims crawls or flies, right  
Tracy: It’s the garlic butter. Snails don’t have much taste.  
Tracy: Shouldn’t I check my e-mail.  
Stanley: Let’s just enjoy some snails.  
Tracy: It’s the garlic butter and the sourdough bread.  
They are greeted, given a table by a window that looks into the garden.  
Tracy selects the wine, orders snails and French onion soup.  
Stanley orders rib eye and baked potato.  
Tracy: What am I doing here? With you. Crackpot racist Vietnam Nam vet.  
Stanley: Wong1985 brought you back to me. I always knew something would.  
Tracy: Stanley, did you hire this guy?  
Stanley: Not that creative. Or subtle. I’m more the barge in kind of guy when I want something.  
Tracy: It’s nice to be with you again.  
Stanley: Of course it is. No one appreciated you the way I do. 

They walk back to the Bed and Breakfast. Stanley builds a fire.  
Tracy: It smells good here. Outside. Sweet.  
Stanley: Night blooming jasmine. It’s all over the grounds here.  
Tracy: I like it.  
Tracy: I should look at my e-mail. Then I’ll take a shower. Wash away whatever the e-mail says.  
Stanley is sitting on the small sofa.  
Stanley: Come sit next me when you open it.  
Tracy gets her phone from her bag. Sits next to Stanley.  
Tracy: Subject “bitch” again.  
Stanley: Not too inventive. Let me get my phone out. Then open it.  
He photographs the message with his phone.  
Stanley: okay. Let’s hear it.  
Tracy: He answered me from the Pacific Rim Account. It says “I can find you. You can’t disappear. Someone always talks if you give them a good enough story. Go back to New York. Don’t leave again without my permission. ”  
Stanley: Write back, “How do I get your permission? Who are you? ”  
Tracy: His message disappeared, didn’t copy to reply.  
Stanley: Doesn’t matter. Go take your shower. I want to think. Robes in closet.  
Tracy: I saw them. 

Tracy comes out of the bathroom engulfed in a big white robe. Wet hair. Face still damp.  
Stanley. Come here.  
Tracy walks over to him. Stanley pulls the robe open. Kisses her belly.  
Tracy: Stop doing that.  
Stanley: Why should I? You are beautiful. I like seeing you, kissing you. You like it.  
Tracy: It tickles.  
Stanley: Isn’t tickling sexual for you Chinese. Don’t you like to get tied-up and tickled. I’ve seen the videos.  
Tracy: Tickling porn? Really Stanley. One, I’m American born. And two, I think tickling porn is Japanese, like anime and tentacles.  
Stanley: It’s boring whatever it is.  
Stanley pulls her into his lap. Slides his hands under the robe around her.  
Stanley: Your back is wet.  
Tracy: I just took a shower, Stanley, of course I’m still wet. So what about Wong1985?  
Stanley: I think he is going back to New York. Which suggests he has a job there or something. Maybe he used the money he has to follow you. Harris gave me pictures of him from the videos. We know what he looks like. He’s talking to you. We’re getting closer to him.  
Tracy: He said he didn’t want to hurt me.  
Stanley: That means he could, that he thinks about it.  
Stanley: Next you are going to ask him about Joey Tai. Ask him who has to pay for Joey Tai. Ask him why anyone has to pay for Joey Tai. Ask him what the payment should be .  
Tracy: You got me raped. Are you going to get me killed?  
Stanley: I'm getting whiplash here. Make-up your mind. You want my help or you don't. You trust me or you don't.  


6

.


	13. A Package is Left at Stanley

They are back at the Drunken Boat. In the garden, under the trees. Having breakfast. At Tracy's suggetion.  
Stanley: I'm going to call Cameron. Order me an omelet. Mushrooms cheese.  
Tracy: Like an order, Captain? I don't take orders unless you are wearing your hat.  
Stanley: I'll remember that. Good thing I kept the hat.  
Stanley leaves the table walks a little way off in the garden.  
Calls Cameron.  
Cameron is happy to stay as long as Stanley wants. But he understands if Stanley wants the dogs to go to daycare. Cameron will call them to pick up the dogs, but Cameron is happy to stay until Stanley gets back.  
Stanley: Ask Fritz what he thinks. He is the wisest.  
Cameron: I'm looking at Fritz, pretty sure he wants me to stay. Okay if I use your Doordash for some burgers.  
Stanley: My Doordash is your Doordash. Burgers fine, whatever you want. But if you go burgers, order plain burgers for Elena and Eric - two for Fritz and Fritz likes mayonnaise. Call the day care say the dogs are staying home today. We'll be back around 1 or 2. Cameron, listen to me now, Tracy has had a stalker. I'm going to send a picture of him to your phone. I want you to call me immediately if you see him or if you see anyone sitting in a car near the house, walking along the street, someone you don't recognize, anyone that makes you feel weird. Immediately call. Don't wait. And if you can get a picture of the person that would be good. Don't approach them. Don't do anything that would make the guy mad. He might have a knife.  
Cameron: A stalker. Oh man. That sucks. You know she is really beautiful. Looks like a movie star or a model or something. I mean she's not 20 or anything but man I would like to have seen her at 20.  
Stanley: Yeah. I lived with her when she was 26.  
Cameron: You did. Man. Lucky you. What was that like? Yeah, I can imagine what that was like. Yeah I'll call you Stanley if there is anything weird. You know Fritz. He would protect us, you, her, even me.  
Stanley: Yeah he would. After he thought it over. 

*

Stanley walks back through the garden, sits down.  
Stanley: Where were we? Oh, if I wear my hat I can order you to do whatever I want.  
Tracy: That is not what I said.  
Stanley: Pretty sure you said you'd take orders if I was wearing my hat.  
Stanley: So once I get rid of your stalker, you going to leave me again?  
Tracy: You'll have to wait and see won't you.  
Stanley: But then I could put on my hat and order you to stay.  
Tracy: Are you going to get rid of my stalker?  
Stanley: Going to do everything I know how to do to get rid of your stalker. Going to keep you safe til I do.  
Stanley: Face blindness.  
Tracy: Prosopagnosia.  
Stanley: You go by clothes, hair color, voice, movement. But you don’t recognize faces.  
Tracy: Right.  
Stanley: So isn’t it possible that the man leaning against the car is the man in the hotel video. Think about his height, you saw him walk a little way. Weight.  
Tracy: Maybe. It could be. They are similar enough. How would he know I was there?  
Stanley: Did your date pick you up?  
Tracy: He called me from the car, pulled up in front of the building. I came out.  
Stanley:Wong1985 by then maybe just sat outside your building and watched. It’s pretty easy to do. Done all the time. Followed you. Saw you get out at the theater. Went in after you. Saw you with the popcorn. Sat near you. Saw the car decided to wait for you. Just see how close he could get.  
Tracy: Pleased with himself.  
Stanley: Check your e-mail.  
Tracy: It will ruin my breakfast. How about after?  
Stanley: How about now?  
Tracy: After.  
Stanley: Okay after.  
Stanley's phone buzzes.  
Stanley: It's Cameron.  
Stanley answers at the table.  
Stanley: Yeah Cameron. You are on speaker.  
Cameron: Hi Tracy.  
Tracy:Hi Cameron.  
Cameron: Uh Stanley some guy just came to the door. I opened the door but not the screen. He was wearing a hoodie. Said he had a package for you. Asked me where you were. He was kind of weird. I didn't think to take a picture of him. But I knew it was him. I mean I just got off the phone with you. Fritz came to the door and growled. So did Eric. I've never seen Eric growl man. Fritz lowered himself down. I thought he was going to go through the screen and tear the guy's throat out. He was actually salivating. Looked like those vicious dogs. I mean saliva dripped from his teeth. If I didn't know him, he would have scared me to death. The guy looked scared of the dogs. He said he'd just leave the package outside. I took a picture through the screen as he was walking away. He got in a blue compact maybe a Honda and drove away. The package is still out there.  
Stanley: Are you okay?  
Cameron: Yeah I'm fine. I don't think he was going hurt me. The dogs really didn't like him though. I'm safe with Fritz here.  
Stanley: Cameron, leave now. Go out through the back. Now. Lock up. Take the dogs and go to your mom's. If your mom doesn't want all the dogs there call the Day Care, they'll come pick them up. Stay at your mom's til I call you. Take some dog food with you. When you get to your house, write down everything you remember about the thing with the guy. On paper.  
Cameron: My mom loves the dogs, they can stay. What about the package?  
Stanley: Just leave it there. I'll give the Watch Commander a call. Police can deal with it. The'll probably just drive by, pick it up.  
Cameron: What's a Watch Commander?  
Stanley: He's the cop who is more or less in charge of the shift.  
Cameron: A black and white will come?  
Stanley: Probably. Maybe ATF  
Stanley hangs up.  
Stanley calls the Martinez Police Department, identifies himself as ExLAPD detective, asks for the Watch Commander. Motions to Tracy to be quiet. Puts the call on speaker. Explains about the stalker, the package, gives the address. Hangs up. Stanley is called immediately back by someone from ATF. Stanley repeats the story beginning with the messages and the flowers. ATF will get the package. Will evacuate nearby homes if necessary. Will be back in touch with Stanley. He is not to return to the house until they give the okay. Apologizes. Might take some time. Does Stanley have a place to stay. Stanley assures him he does have a place to stay. Stanley is to keep his phone nearby. ATF hangs up. Tracy: He found me didn't he?  
Stanley: He found you.   


7 


	14. Berkeley Museum of Modern Art: A Retrospective

Stanley and Tracy finish breakfast, walk back to their Bed and Breakfast.  
Tracy: Now what?  
Stanley: We may stay here for another day two.  
Stanley calls the desk and asks if they can keep the room another two nights.  
It's fine. The desk is delighted to have them another two days. And reminds Stanley that there is complimentary wine and cheese in the living room at 4 every afternoon. Stanley calls Cameron and works out an arrangement for the dogs. They will go to day care while Cameron is at school and stay with Cameron and his mother the rest of the time.  
Tracy curls up in the window seat. Stanley sits at the table  
Stanley: What next? Nothing much we can do until we hear from the watch commander. Or the ATF.  
Stanley: Did you go to Berkeley?  
Tracy: USC. Journalism. I know Berkeley from years ago. Had friends who went here. If we are killing time I wouldn't mind seeing the new Art Museum. It's down on Oxford. Great Japanese place around the corner.  
Stanley: Raw fish. Get your Mercury needs met. The Japanese can't tell bait from dinner.  
Tracy: I'm surprised you lasted ten years at LAPD.  
Stanley: You'd be surprised how many cops share my sense of humor.  
Tracy: No I wouldn't be. Old white cops.  
Stanley: A dying breed. Okay, I'll go to this museum with you. What's there?  
Tracy looks at her phone. Begins laughing.  
Tracy: Now Stanley, first I want to tell you that there are always several things too see. Not just one exhibit.  
Stanley: What made you laugh?  
Tracy: One of the exhibits is paintings of vulvas.  
Stanley: Those Swedish cars?  
Tracy: Vulvas. Girls' private parts Stanley. The artist was a sex worker and began painting in her thirties. She’s 80 now. This is a retrospective of her paintings. Most famous of them have been collected and will be shown. 35 paintings. First time so many of her paintings have been shown together.  
Stanley: Sex worker? You mean prostitute. Whore.  
Tracy: I think most of them want to be called sex workers now.  
Stanley: What? She held up a mirror and painted what she saw.  
Tracy: I guess they are her paintings of other women's vulvas. Her girlfriends maybe.  
Tracy hands him the phone.  
Stanley: Green? Some woman was green. Probably a space alien.  
Tracy: You are not funny.  
Stanley: I'm funny.  
Tracy: I guess she painted them the way they felt to her. Come on. You are playing the ignorant Pollack. I haven't forgotten you have a Masters in Art History. You studied Georgia O'Keeffe I know  
Stanley: I guess green vulvas might be interesting. After seeing green ones I might not be satisfied with anything else. Master in Art History? What I really have is a degree in art forgery and fraud. Let me tell you about the Vermeers sometime  
Tracy: And there is a room with psychedelic posters and album covers from the early 70's. And an exhibit of telephones and telephone booths. There is a film archive and they are showing Chariots of Fire tonight and one of the guys in the movie will be there at 7 to greet people and he'll give a short talk before the film. And wine will be served. Tickets are $25.  
Stanley: I would have liked Swedish cars.  
Tracy: Too bad Stanley. We never were really compatible.  
Stanley: What have you got against Swedish cars?  
Tracy laughs.  
Tracy: You are trying to make me forget about all this for a little while aren't you.  
Stanley: Thought I would if I could.

It's 4:20. They are in the living room of the Bed and Breakfast having wine. Talking to other guests. Stanley's phone vibrates. He excuses himself. Walks out of the living room to the terrace. Tracy follows him out. He stands at the railing. Tracy sits at one of the tables near him.  
Stanley is talking to the Watch Commander. He puts the phone on speaker.  
Watch Commander: I’m off shift, but I offered to update you. Stanley, we got it. It's not a bomb. It's actually your press clippings. You sure you just didn't want us to know what a famous cop you used to be.  
Stanley: Yeah. I confess. It was me. I haven't been getting enough attention lately.  
Watch commander: Looks like somebody printed them off the internet. A whole stack from the time you were captain in Chinatown back in New York in '85. And the death of some Chinese triad big shot Joey Tai. The stuff was wrapped in a poster for some news station. Says WKXT and says “If it's news to you, it's news to us.” Poster has a picture of a really pretty Asian girl. I can drop the stuff by your place on the way home. No need to hold on to it. No crime was committed.  
Stanley: Sorry for all the trouble man.  
Watch Commander: They looked for fingerprints as a courtesy, Stanley. Feel like I should call you Captain now. Like I said no crime to leave a bunch of old clippings on a doorstep. But they didn't find any prints. Guy must have used gloves which in itself is a little weird. You want us to get involved in the stalking thing.  
Stanley: No. Appreciate the offer. The stalker is harassing her more than making any overt threats. May have a knife, though.  
Watch Commander: Somebody put together a whole lot of information about your involvement in that Chinatown thing. Pages of it man. A heroin deal, and some guy named Joey Tai committing suicide with your gun. We here at Martinez PD were interested to find out what a celebrity we've got living in our town.  
Stanley: Long time ago. We're still out of town. We'll be back tomorrow. We can go by the PD and pick the stuff up. We'll bring by some cookies or something. Appreciate the trouble you went to.  
Watch Commander: I know it isn't PC, but you know our guys still love donuts. There is a place, real good donuts, on Main. Sylvie's. A favorite with a lot of us.  
Stanley: I'll see what I can do.  
Hangs up  
Stanley: I'm going to call Cameron tell him everything's okay. And he can take the dogs back to the house if he wants.  
Tracy: Everything is not okay Stanley. There wasn't a bomb. This time. But this guy is too close. And he was at my hotel trying to get into my room. He as at your house. I'm frightened. What is he going to do next? What does he want?  
Stanley: Nothing is going to happen to you at my house. Tracy, I know it is more scary, but the more he shows himself the better chance we have of catching him and stopping him. And now we have a picture of him.  
Tracy: Not a great picture.  
Stanley: More than we had before. Tracy, I'd like to call Lou. I want to run it by him. See if he has any thoughts. Do you know where Joey's wife is. His daughter?  
Tracy: Let me think about Lou. The wife and the daughter are out here. After Joey died, the mother, Laura came to San Francisco. Her mother had relatives here. Laura's mother, Laura and the daughter I think she was about ten years old then. They all came. The grandmother is long dead. The daughter went to Stanford became a doctor in infectious diseases or something. I checked on them from time to time. Last time I checked was 3-4 years ago. The daughter was in Africa working on an Ebola outbreak. Laura Joey’s wife has become reclusive.  
Stanley: Daughter making up for dad by helping the unfortunate?  
Tracy: Maybe. She's a rich girl. She didn't have to do that. Become a doctor, go to Africa.  
Stanley: Still no response or any new e-mail from Mr. Wong1985?  
Tracy looks at her phone.  
Tracy: Nothing.

Stanley: Lets spend a quiet evening here. You still like Italian? Pizza? I know a good pizza place. Zachary’s.  
Tracy says, “ I still like Italian. I like pizza.”  
Stanley: Tomorrow we’ll go back. Stop by Martinez PD. Get the package he left. And let‘s find the daughter and if we can go talk to her and show her the picture. Maybe try to see Laura Tai.

7


	15. The Good Doctor

Stanley and Tracy are at a big medical complex in Palo Alto. They have finally found the Medical Outreach and Research building. They find the door they are looking for. Emilia Tai, MD. PhD. Specialist in Infectious Disease and Toxic Environmental Exposure. Tracy knocks softly.  
The door opens, an attractive Asian woman in her mid 40s wearing a white lab coat is standing there. She extends her hand.  
Woman: I’m Dr. Tai.  
Stanley: We are the ones who called this morning.  
Stanley: I’m Stanley White and this is..  
Dr. Tai: I know who you are. I know the parts you two played in my father’s life. Death. For the record, I would rather he were alive and in prison where I could see him and talk to him. I understand why he committed suicide, but you shouldn’t have let him do it. So do you think you have an infectious disease or suffer from some toxic environmental exposure? If not, I doubt there is any way I can be helpful to you.  
Stanley: Someone has been harassing Ms. Tzu for three months. Sending twitter messages, doing Facebook, e-mails. All related to your father. The messages all say someone must pay for Joey Tai’s death. He followed Ms. Tzu to her hotel two days ago and used flower delivery as a ruse to get into her room. He came to my house and left a package.  
Dr. Tai: I know what my father did and was. When I was 19, I read everything. My personal memories of him are very sweet. He was lovely to the family to me my mother. But I know he had another side. I am not stalking you, Ms Tzu. My maternal grandmother hated my father so believe me I’ve heard it all. I spent 3 years in therapy in my mid 20s trying to resolve my confusion and ambivalence over my father. The therapy worked. I’ve reached some equilibrium over who he was and what he did. Whatever is happening to you I have nothing to do with it.  
Stanley takes out two pictures of the stalker. One from the front desk. And one with the valets.  
Stanley: We believe this is the man.  
Stanley hands her the pictures.  
Stanley: Do you know this man?  
Dr. Tai shakes her head. Sighs.  
Dr. Tai: This is my half-brother. Brian Andersen Tai. My father had a young Caucasian girlfriend. Lover. Mistress. It is not uncommon for weathy Chinese men to have two wives, or a wife and a girlfriend who functions as a second wife. My father was very controlled, very disciplined. No one suspected. He didn’t seem the type. So correct in every way. But he did. He met the woman, girl really, when she was a manicurist in the salon where my father had his hair cut. Beautiful blue-eyed young blond woman on her knees in front of him, holding his hand, massaging his fingers. Differential. Demur. Not easy to resist. She was 19 when he met her. My mother would never speak of her but my grandmother and my mother’s sisters knew all about her. They had plenty to say. She came from the Midwest. Wanted to be an actress. Did some modeling. Was homecoming queen or something. Miss Teen Nebraska runner-up. Looked like a Barbie doll brought to life. More delicate than a Barbie from the pictures I've seen. The opposite of my mother of course. My father supported her, was maybe in love with her. She was pregnant when my father died. She legally changed her name, give herself and the child my father’s name. Came to my mother demanding money or she would tell her story to the newspapers. My mother’s family is very wealthy and very private so they arranged money for her care and her silence. Supported her off and on over the years. She became increasingly unstable after the baby. My grandmother and grandfather investigated her. Came from an unstable family. Likely the girl’s father was bipolar or schizophrenic. My grandparents always kept track of her and the child. At some point my grandparents got DNA. He is unquestionably my father’s child. Got my father’s looks and some of his intelligence but his mental health from the mother‘s side. I was ten when my father was killed, killed himself, eleven when Brian was born. My grandparents tried to deal with Brian and his mother thru lawyers. She became increasingly disorganized, my grandparents stepped in and arranged a Chinese family in Chicago the Lings to care for Brian when the mother was too unstable. They did it not for my father but for me. He was my only sibling. Chinese and family. You know how it is Ms.Tzu. He was my brother, they felt obligated to him. She committed suicide when he was 14. He was with her. He called the Ling family in Chicago, they took him back in. I was 25, in residency. I had some relationship by then with him. I had high hopes. I used to say, I am not alone I have a brother. He was as unstable as his mom. But I see him as my brother and I have come to love him. He was diagnosed with autism, as schizotypal. Attention problems. He is obsessive. And he can be dangerous. He becomes delusional. A friend of mine here, a psychiatrist says, he is most likely bipolar. He says multiple diagnoses are often mistakenly given bipolars. There is drug use too but the drugs only amplify what is there already. In the delusional states he is dangerous. When he was 22 he broke my arm. He was taken to an emergency room, had been hallucinating threatening people in a mall. The emergency room called me. He gave them my number. He was visiting me. I knew he wasn’t doing well. I was getting ready to go to Africa for 6 months. I was thinking of letting him stay in my apartment while I was gone. When I got to the emergency room, he believed I was a teacher from high school and I had failed him and he was furious. And that t I was holding him in the school. I had taken him in a conference room to try to talk him down. I was standing between him and the door, it was stupid - never supposed to use yourself to keep a patient in a room - he wanted to leave, I said no, stood in front of the door, he threw a chair, broke my arm and ran out, had to be chased down by the cops. Then restrained. He doesn’t mean it. But people can get hurt around him.  
Tracy’s phone chimes.  
Tracy: An e-mail from him.  
Tracy: It says “Stay away from my sister or I will do more than break your arm.”  
Tracy: Can he hear us?  
Dr Tai: No breaking my arm was very traumatic for him. It stays on his mind, often comes up still.  
Stanley: Do you know where he is? Where he might be.  
Dr. Tai: I don’t know where he is but I have a pretty good idea he is not taking his meds. Not taking the drugs he is supposed to take, and is probably taking ones he is not supposed to take. 


	16. Wong1985’s Story

Stanley: He can’t hear us but he knows we are here. We know he talked to two of the valets maybe he talked to other valets and got a description of your car. Knew the car you rented. Maybe he has a tracking device on the car. He didn’t follow us yesterday because we had my car. The device was put on your rental while you were at the hotel. It didn’t occur to me, but he could have done it. He could have tracked you to my house, then us here. I’ll check before we leave.  
Dr.Tai: He graduated high school. He’s quite bright. He has done community college. Does a semester or two. Can’t sustain it. Has done very well with computers. And he is sophisticated enough to get a tracking device and put it on your car. He did that once to a woman who managed one of the half way houses. Wanted to know more about her than she was willing to reveal. He’s resourceful when he is obsessed.  
Tracy: Where has your brother been the last 6 months.  
Tracy: A year ago he was back with the family in Chicago. The Lings. They are elderly now and they have other children grown and long out of the house. Things went okay for about four months, then he started having trouble sleeping, more talkative. Being a pest. Staying up for days, doing his research he said. The Ling kids wanted him out. They arranged a halfway house for him. The kids moved the parents into assisted living and sold the house to prevent him from coming back to them. The kids loved the money my grandparents paid their parents. It helped them pay off the house and helped the Lings stay in their house and helped the kids with graduate school. But the kids of the Lings have no affection for my brother. He didn’t like the halfway house where they put him, he was calling me day and night, he wanted me to make them move back to a house even buy another house for them so he could live with them again. Or wanted to come here to live with me. But I can’t have him with me again. Not unsupervised. He’s been arrested twice at my place. I love him and I understand him. ~~A policeman who took him into custody said to me once, he has a bad squash, huh, doc?~~  
Dr. Tai laughs ruefully.  
Dr. Tai: I love him but I know there are no easy answers for him. There is just no place for him. Old traditional Chinese families where several generations lived together would have kept him home, managed him. But I can’t do that. I’m unmarried. My grandparents came to care about him but they are dead now. My mother is reclusive and even his name cannot be mentioned in her presence. There is no one. And the public system doesn’t work for people like him.  
Stanley: Where is he now?  
Dr. Tai: Close by I think. He may come to me later, here or at my home. I am leaving next week again for Africa for three months. I can’t let him stay at my place.  
Stanley: He left the halfway house in Chicago. Where did he go?  
Dr. Tai: New York. He went to Chinatown. He was obsessed with his mother for awhile. Believed she could have been a great actress but that my father ruined her career. When he went back to the Chicago family this last time I think someone talked to him about my father. He became obsessed with my father. He called me asked me questions, said he wanted to see all my pictures of my father. Said he was coming soon to see the pictures. Asked over and over did I think he looks like my father. He does by the way. His smile, the way he tilts his head and looks at you. It’s uncanny. It is for me. I was 10 when my father died, he was 47. As Brian gets older he more and more looks like my father to me. I give Brian an allowance. Out of the money I inherited from my grandparents. I budget it. He has an ATM card. Manages to stay within his budget usually. He is also on SSI. When he loses the ATM card he is usually decompensating.  
Stanley: Still has the ATM?  
Dr.Tai: As far as I know. I can see what he has done recently with the ATM if you like.  
Dr. Tai. changes screens on her desktop. Looks at a Bank of America’s account.  
Dr. Tai. He bought some flowers $250. And rented a car at a place by the San Franicisco Airport . He took out some cash and charged a room at a Motel Six in Daley City. And today he bought a plane ticket. $400. He's probably going back to New York.  
Stanley: What was he doing in New York?  
Dr. Tai: Researching my father.


	17. Obsessed with Joey Tai

Dr. Tai: When he got obsessed with his mother about 4 years ago he went to Fort Gaitlan, Nebraska where she was from. Went to the library, looked at yearbooks, old newspapers, printed out what he could find, went to the high school, interviewed the teachers he could find, the neighbors, posed as a reporter. But he can be too intense. He was starting to annoy people at the school, people in the neighborhood. Someone called the cops, he got belligerent. Got taken into custody. They called me. No charges, just get him out of there. I picked him up. Got him back to Chicago. To the Lings. He did okay for awhile. Said he was going to write a book about his mother. Had boxes of papers and printouts he had sent to the Ling’s house. He used their place for his home address. But he never did write much. Then he got obsessed with my dad about 9 months ago. He found pictures on the internet, started dressing like my father. He found video. Would spend all day watching the videos. Began walking and talking more like my father. But he was awake all the time, likely starting into a manic phase. That was when the Ling kids had had enough of him. The kids moved the parents out, put all his stuff in storage. I agreed to pay for the storage. I don’t know what is in there. Then he said he had met someone on the internet from Chinatown in New York and he was going to Chinatown. That the person needed a roommate. And he was going to write a book about his father, my father. He said he realized now he belonged in Chinatown.  
That was the last I heard from him.  
Stanley: Do you have anyway of reaching him.  
Dr. Tai: I have his roommate’s number. But if he’s manic, and he’s here, he’ll most likely call me sooner or later or someone will. Or he’ll turn up on my doorstep or come here to the office. But the purchase of the plane ticket probably means he’s going back to New York.  
Stanley: Besides your arm, has he ever hurt anybody?


	18. Helen of Troy

Dr. Tai: He can be aggressive when he is manic especially if he feels threatened. He buys guns. He shot a neighborhood teen in the leg once in Chicago. He has fought and injured emergency room staff a few times like when he hit me with the chair.  
Stanley: What about the shooting?  
Dr.Tai: The Lings were robbed. Probably kids. Electronics were taken. Mostly my brothers. Her jewelry. Cash. The safe was left alone. Police took a report. Said basically there was nothing they could do. He got manic, got a gun threatened neighborhood teens. Shot at one, the bullet hit a step, they were outside in front of the kid‘s house. Bullet richocheted, hit the kid in the leg. Police called, arrested him. Lings called me. I stepped in compensated the family, got him a lawyer talked to the DA got him a plea agreement. Probation, no more guns. But he still buys guns. Goes to gun shows. Firing ranges. Delusional state, manic, with a gun, I’d say he could be very dangerous.  
Stanley: Has he stalked anyone before.  
Dr. Tai: He gets obsessed. The woman whose car he put the tracking device on. They moved him from the halfway house she managed but it didn’t help. She got a restraining order. He kept showing up at her home, at the halfway house. Calling her. Wanted to be friends. She thought it was sexual, but he is mostly pretty asexual, non-sexual, almost pre-sexual. Probably partly the meds he has been on. She finally quit her job she and her husband moved away and as far as I know he lost interest. Then as I said, he started doing the research on his mother. I don’t mind talking about him and I’m sorry he is doing this but I have to teach a class in about 45 minutes.  
Stanley: Thank you for talking to us. Would you call me if you hear from him?  
Dr. Tai: Sure. Of course. I’ll call the roommate after my class. Would you stay in touch with me also please. I’d like to see the messages he sent but I don’t have time right now. Ms. Tzu, my parents used to watch you when I was little. They were both very proud of you. When you focused on my father as a criminal I think it hurt him especially that it was you when you had been someone he admired. My mother and I thought you were the most beautiful woman in the world. You made me want to be just like you. I wanted to be a TV reporter til I was 11. We studied myths in 4th grade and we studied Helen of Troy and I thought the drawings of her were wrong. I thought she must look just like you.  
Tracy: You are very kind. It was the lightening, I assure you. Your father wanted so much to be an important respected man, I imagine he would be very proud of you. And the world it seems lost a great journalist when you chose medicine. Thank you for giving us so much time.  
Stanley and Tracy leave.  
Stanley watches the parking lot for a few minutes before they walk to the car. Sees no sign of Brian. Sees no blue Hondas. Stanley crawls under the car before they get in the car. Comes out with a small dark box.  
Stanley: $29.99 on Amazon. Magnetic. Resourceful fellow our Brian.  
Stanley walks down the parking lot. Finds a Volvo. Reaches under the Volvo. Attaches the tracker.  
Tracy: A Volvo?  
Stanley: Had Volvos on my mind for some reason.  
Tracy: You are not putting the Volvo people in danger.  
Stanley: No but it might make him mad at me.  
Tracy: Do you think he has a gun?  
Stanley: Wouldn't surprise me.  



	19. “Why” is the Bonus Question

They are driving back across the San Mateo Bridge.  
Tracy: I used to sail here. I had a little sail boat. The water is calm, predictable. Not like out in the Bay between the Golden Gate and the Bay Bridge. I was never brave enough to sail by myself there.  
Stanley: A fearless reporter.  
Tracy: But a timid sailor.  
Stanley: Reporters. Aren’t you supposed to find out who, what, where, when, why?  
Tracy: Yes on “who, what, where, when.” “Why” is a bonus question. Optional, I guess you could say.  
Stanley: So Emilia Tai answered the “who” question. Your “Who“ is Brian Tai.  
Tracy: So he knew the hotel, knew which rental was mine followed me to the hotel, then followed me to your place but we took your car yesterday to the hotel and then to the bed and breakfast and your car didn't have a device. So he didn't follow us yesterday. Do you think he watched us walk the dogs?  
Stanley: The picnic table?  
Tracy: I wonder now.  
Stanley: Are you hungry? Want to stop for dinner on the way back?  
Tracy: I could eat. I don't know if I feel better or worse. Knowing about Brian.  
Stanley: Maybe better and worse? Call Cameron let him know we are going to stop for dinner. Have you eaten at Chez Panisse? 


	20. Dinner at Chez Panisse

Stanley and Tracy are at Chez Panisse in Berkeley. Upstairs.  
Stanley: You still like Italian better than Chinese cause I do know some good Chinese places.  
Tracy: It's just what I imagined. I've always wanted to eat here. Alice Waters. I love her cookbooks.  
Stanley: We’re upstairs. The fancy part is downstairs - the 5 course fixed menu. This is pizza and calzone but it’s good.  
Tracy: Have you ever eaten downstairs?  
Stanley: Never have.  
Tracy: I'd like to do that sometime. What do we do next?  
Stanley: You could stay for awhile. Seems he’s going back.  
Tracy: We don’t know when.  
Stanley: I could watch the Motel Six.  
Tracy: Even if you did that, what then. You tell him stop. And he says oh sorry. And stops. What are we going to do with him? How do we get him to stop? What does he want?  
Stanley: Bank robbers want the money in the bank. Drug dealers want to make money and not pay taxes. Forgers want to make money on their forgeries and most like fooling people. There’s a high criminals get from fooling people putting one over on people. It gives them a feeling of superiority. But Brian Tai is as you said like gum stuck on your shoe. We need to get him off. But we don’t know how to un-stick him.  
Stanley’s phone vibrates.  
Stanley: Dr. Tai. I have you on speaker  
Dr. Tai: I spoke to my brother’s roommate. My brother called his roommate and told the roommate he is flying back day after tomorrow and asked his roommate to pick him up. The roommate gave me my brothers cell number. I called. My brother didn’t answer. There is no mailbox set-up.  
Stanley: Let me step outside. Give me a moment doctor.  
Stanley goes out and down the stairs, slips outside.  
Stanley: What Ms. Tzu needs is for this to stop. Do you have any suggestions?  
Dr. Tzu: As I told you I am leaving for Africa next week, I am very busy. I would like to see the e-mails and tweets my brother has sent. I know it is a long drive down here but if you would be willing to make the drive again, I will ask my psychiatrist friend to sit in with us and consult with us.  
Stanley: We’ll come back down. When is your brother’s flight?  
Dr. Tai: He leaves at 11 day after tomorrow.  
Stanley: When could you meet with us?  
Dr. Tai: I can't do anything tomorrow. The day is completely booked.  
Stanley: How about the day after?  
Dr. Tai: He'll be gone by then.  
Stanley: I don't think his leaving is going to be the end of this.  
Dr. Tai: Probably not. Come to my office at 2:00 day after tomorrow. If my psychiatrist friend can’t make it I’ll let you know.  
Stanley: Thank you.  
Dr. Tai sighs. Hangs up.  
Stanley goes back to the table.  
Stanley: We just have to get through tonight. And tomorrow. Tomorrow night. He leaves day after tomorrow at 11:00. And Dr Tai is willing to meet with us with her psychiatrist friend. 

12 


	21. Could I have a Cat?

Stanley pulls up in front of his house.  
Stanley: Stay in the car for a few minutes.  
Stanley gets out goes to the front door, unlocks it, opens the door. Calls out to Cameron. The dogs swarm him. The dogs are delighted Stanley is home.  
Stanley goes back to the car. Accompanied by the dogs. Opens Tracy's door. Elena temporarily forgets to be wounded by Tracy’s presence. And wags her tail at Tracy. Eric is overjoyed by Tracy’s return. Tracy gets out of the car.  
Eric looks up at her adoringly. He does not leave Tracy’s side.  
They walk into the house together followed by the joyful dogs. Stanley pays Cameron.  
Cameron: I can stay tonight if you need me. I'm free tomorrow.  
Stanley: I think I've got it covered for tonight and tomorrow, but could use you for the day after. Day and night maybe.  
Cameron: Okay sure.  
Cameron leaves. Reluctantly.  
Eric stands by Tracy. Sits down by her.  
Stanley: You’ve made a life friend in Eric. It’s like he has been waiting for you.  
Tracy: It’s mutual. I think I’ve been waiting for Eric. Are we safe here tonight? Will Brian do something else before he leaves?  
Stanley: Don’t know if Brian will get on the plane. I doubt anyone could get past Eric to get to you. And I’ll talk things over with Fritz. He actually has a command which would direct him to take lethal action toward an intruder.  
Tracy: Lethal?  
Stanley: That’s the command. But I told you Fritz thinks everything over. Kind of a philosophical dog. But I’ll let him know our position.  
Tracy: Lethal action seems too much given what I know now about Brian now. He’s really a disturbed kid.  
Stanley: Most stalkers are. Disturbed. Not kids. And Brian is not a kid. And he likes guns. And he has now threatened to break your arm.  
Tracy: We shouldn’t hurt him.  
Stanley: He may put us, or himself, in a position in which hurting him, even killing him is unavoidable.  
Tracy: How can we make it stop, him stop, so it doesn’t get to that point?  
Stanley: Let's sit outside. Have wine. Or would you like a whiskey?  
Tracy: Wine I think. But if you have whiskey, I'll have a sip.  
Stanley gets her wine, white, cold from the fridge, fills the glass nearly full. Pours himself a whiskey. Debates about the ice. Decides no ice. Stanley: Nice having you here. Comfortable.  
They go outside. The dogs troop out after them. Stanley sits down on the lounge. The dogs lie down next to the lounge.  
Stanley: Sit here. In front of me.  
Tracy sits.  
Stanley puts a leg on each side of her. She leans back against him. He smells her hair. Kisses her neck.  
Tracy: Do you think he watched us. On the picnic table.  
Stanley: No.  
Tracy: Why?  
Stanley: I think watching us would have upset him. I think he would have to have said or done something about seeing us having sex. Emailed you, revealed somehow he’d seen us. Like the salt.  
Tracy: You think he’s nearby.  
Stanley: Maybe. He could be watching the house. Not too near or Fritz would let us know.  
Tracy: After he thought about it.  
Stanley: Eric wouldn’t let anyone near you who had a hostile intent.  
Tracy: I never had a dog. My mother never cared for them.  
Stanley: Take six months off. Come and stay here with me. Maybe Brian will lose interest.  
Tracy: Stanley I have a job I like. I’m not ready to give that up.  
Stanley: A leave of absence.  
Tracy: I don’t think that’s possible.  
Stanley: You could afford it.  
Tracy: I could. But I’m not ready to give up my anchor position.  
Stanley: Nice here together though right?  
Tracy: Could I have a cat?  
Stanley: With three dogs? You'd want to add in a cat?  
Tracy: I'd want a cat if I came here.  
Stanley: I'd have to discuss it with Fritz. Get his take on it. There's probably a way we could make it work.  
Stanley: You want to be with me. You're thinking about it. Coming here. You know you are. I know you are. You like being in my bed.  



	22. A Blue Honda Comes to the Park

Early morning. Tracy gets up, leaves Stanley in bed. Puts on drawstring cotton pants a short t-shirt. Goes in the kitchen. Makes coffee. Brings it to Stanley in bed.  
Tracy: Wake-up Stanley. I brought you coffee.  
Stanley: You are bringing me breakfast in bed.  
Tracy: No. Just coffee.  
Stanley: Cause you love me. And you want to make me happy. And you want to serve me.  
Tracy: Just say thank you, Stanley.  
Stanley takes a long drink of coffee. Puts it down on the nightstand. Pulls her back into the bed.  
Tracy: Get up.  
Stanley: Sex first.  
He rolls over on her.  
Stanley: Why do I still find you so irresistible?  
He kisses her. 

Late morning, breakfast over, dishes done. Stanley made omelets with vegetables from the garden. They walk the dogs on leash. Tracy has Eric. Stanley Elena and Fritz. They walk from Stanley's house back down to the park on the Carquinez Strait. Stanley takes the leashes off. Fritz and Elena run to the water's edge. Eric looks at Tracy then longingly at the shore line, gives a brief bark and runs after Elena and Fritz. The dogs chase each other, barking happily, running in and out of the water. Stanley and Tracy walk over to their picnic table. Stanley climbs onto the bench turns around sits down on the top. Puts his feet wide apart on the bench.  
Stanley: Come here. Sit in front of me. Lean back against me.  
Tracy walks over sits on the bench. Stanley has a leg on each side of her. She leans back against him. He puts his hand in her her hair. Leans over kisses her hair.  
Stanley: Your hair smells good. You smell good. I can't let you leave me again.  
Tracy: Stanley, stop it.  
Stanley strokes her cheek, her shoulder.  
Stanley: Not dark enough to really enjoy this table.  
The dogs circle back to them. A few brief barks and all three run back to the water's edge, chasing each other running back along the shore. 

A blue Honda pulls into the parking lot behind them. Brian Tai gets out begins walking toward them. Stanley and Tracy are sitting with their backs to him. He is unseen by Tracy and Stanley.  
Fritz is standing knee deep in the water, stops suddenly sniffs the air, spins around, rushes out of the water bounds to Tracy and Stanley. He’s followed by Eric and Elena. Fritz stands at alert next to the table where Stanley and Tracy are sitting.  
Brian walks up, around the table. Stands a little distance off. Facing Stanley and Tracy. Fritz begins growling softly, opens his mouth slightly, lowers himself a little into a partial crouch. Eric sits down on the ground next to Tracy. Elena jumps up on the table sits next to Stanley.  
Brian: Nice dogs. Do they bite?  
Stanley: Sometimes. If they think the situation calls for biting. So you decided to meet in person. What’s up with all the e-mails and shit?  
Brian: You killed my father.  
Stanley: No I didn’t kill your father.  
Brian:It was your gun.  
Stanley: It was my gun. What’s with all the e-mails Brian? What are you trying to do?  
Brian: It isn’t right what you did, what she did. My father was a great man. You ruined his life. I never knew him. He never had a son. I would have been his son.  
Stanley: You are his son.  
Brian begins pacing back and forth. Snapping his fingers.  
Fritz growls. Moves a step toward Brian. Remains in a crouch. Eric moves over beside Fritz.  
Brian looks at the dogs.  
Brian: Make them stop that. It’s scaring me. I’m not going to hurt anyone.  
Stanley: Can you stop pacing?  
Brian: No. I’m nervous I need to pace.  
Stanley. Okay just move back a little.  
Brian moves a few feet back. Keeps pacing.  
Stanley: You have any weapons Brian, a gun or a knife, anything?  
Brian: I don’t have to tell you.


	23. Someone Has to Pay When They Do Something Bad

Stanley: Brian I was a cop for years. I know a dozen ways to get you on the ground and search you. But I’m an old guy and I don’t want to do that. And I can sic the dog on you and he can tear your arm off or he can knock you down and hold you on ground. It’ll be easier for everyone if you just tell me.  
Brian paces faster. Snaps his fingers.  
Brian: What if I have a knife?  
Stanley: I’d want you to take it out and put it on the ground.  
Brian: I don’t want to.  
Stanley: I understand that. But I’m going to need you to do that now. Slowly.  
Fritz creeps forward a little opens his mouth a little more. A rumbling growl.  
Stanley: Now Brian.  
Brian takes the knife out. Fritz crouches, ready to spring. Brian throws the knife on the ground.  
Stanley: Move back away from the knife. Stand-up Tracy.  
Tracy stands up. Stanley stands behind her on the bench, jumps off the bench to the ground.  
Stanley: Tracy go stand on the other side of the table. Call Eric.  
Tracy does. Eric runs to her. Stays right next to her.  
Stanley walks over picks up the knife puts it in his pocket.  
Stanley: I’m going to search you now Brian. I need you to turn around. I’ll be quick but I need to do that.  
Brian: No. I’ll run away.  
Stanley: The dog will chase you and he can run faster than you and he will knock you down. If you resist him he’ll bite you. Not a little bite but a tearing your throat out bite. After I search you I’m going to let you talk to us. You can sit here at the table with us and tell us what is on your mind.  
Brian: Can you make that dog stop growling?  
Stanley: I can discuss it with him after I search you.  
Brian puts his arms up. Turns around.   
Brian: Okay.  
Stanley walks over to Brian, pats him down. Takes out his wallet, his phone. His car keys. A room key. Fritz remains still. Still slightly crouched.  
Stanley: Okay You can turn back toward me now. Brian turns back.   
I’m going to look through your wallet Brian but I’m not going to take anything. And I’m going to look through your phone. I don't need your keys. Stanley hands Brian back the keys. Brian puts them in his pocket. Stanley opens the wallet.  
Brian: No I didn’t say you could do that.  
Stanley: Okay. I wont look right now. I'll just hold on to the wallet and the phone til you are ready to leave. Come on now sit down at the table. Tracy you can sit across from Brian.  
Brian: Where are you going to be?  
Stanley: Fritz and I are going to stand here by you while we talk.  
Brian: I don’t like that dog.  
Brian sits down at the table. Tracy sits across from him. Eric lies down on the ground by Tracy.  
Stanley: I understand that. So Brian, you worry that Ms. Tzu eats too much salt.  
Brian: She does. I saw her.  
Stanley: I’ve known her a long time and I didn’t know that about her. You worried about the salt.  
Brian: It’s bad for people. Everybody knows that.  
Stanley: You’ve been sending notes to Ms Tzu but you didn’t want her to know who you were.  
Brian: She said a lot of bad things about my father.  
Tracy: I was a reporter Brian.  
Brian slams his hand down, starts to get up.  
Brian: Lies. You told lies so you could be famous. So you could make a lot of money.  
Stanley: Sit down Brian.  
Stanley puts his hand on Brian‘s shoulder forces him back down.  
Tracy: I was already famous. I already made a lot of money before I reported on your father.  
Stanley looks at Tracy. Shakes his head.  
Brian: No you didn’t.  
Stanley: Is there something you would like Ms. Tzu to do?  
Brian: Say she lied. She has to say she lied. You have to say you made a mistake.  
He turns to Stanley.  
Brian: You too. You have to say you made a mistake. He was a great man.  
Stanley: What did you mean when you told Ms. Tzu that someone had to pay?  
Brian: I didn't mean anything.  
Stanley: Who should pay? Do you want money?  
Brian shouting: No. I am not that kind of person. I don't want money. I have money. My sister gives me money from my father.  
Tracy: That money...  
Stanley shakes his head.  
Brain: What? What were you going to say?  
Tracy: Nothing. I didn't know you had money. So when you wrote to me someone must pay? It wan't about money. Who must pay?  
Brain yelling: SOMEONE. You have to pay when you do something bad.  
Fritz crouches down. Growls.  
Stanley: Yeah Brian, gotta keep it down low so the dog stays calm.  
Brain looking fearfully at the dog.  
Brain: Yeah okay yeah sorry. 


	24. Mostly a Vegetarian

Stanley: Have you eaten Brian? I thought maybe Tracy could go pick us up a little something and we could eat here and talk further.  
Brian: Like a picnic you mean?  
Stanley: Yeah kind of like that.  
Brian: Would we have fried chicken? I mean if it is a picnic?  
Stanley: I was thinking of sandwiches. Maybe some potato salad though.  
Brian: Yeah. That would be nice. Thank you.  
Stanley: Tracy you and Eric go to the Monkey Creek Pub and get us a some sandwiches.  
Brian: You know I'm a vegetarian.  
Stanley: I didn't know that. I thought you wanted fried chicken.  
Brain: Well for the picnic. I wouldn't eat it though.  
Stanley: Well, maybe a cheese sandwich or something.  
Brian: I'm mostly a vegetarian. I eat hamburgers sometimes.  
Stanley: Could you eat a BBQ sandwich.  
Brain: I could eat that.  
Stanley: Tracy go up to Monkey Creek Pub and bring back some BBQ sandwiches and some drinks. Brian and I will just talk for a little bit. Take Eric with you.  
Tracy gets up. Looks at her phone. Okay. It is going to take me about 30 minutes.  
Brian: You can take my car.  
Tracy: Brian that is nice of you to offer me your car.  
Stanley nods: It is.  
Stanley: You'd let her take your car. Can she take the dog with her in your car?  
Brain: Well for lunch. Sure. We are having lunch together, right? The dog is okay. He seems a little nicer now.  
Stanley: We are. Yeah. We are having lunch together. The car would make it faster.  
Tracy: Thank you Brian. I will. I have the menu on my phone, do you want to look before I go.  
Brian: No I'll have what Stanley is having. Is it okay if I call you Stanley?  
Stanley: Sure that's fine.  
Brian hands Tracy the car keys. Tracy leaves with Eric.  
Elena scoots over and sniffs Brian.  
Brian: This one likes me, I think.  
Stanley: I think she is willing to give you a chance.  
Brian: This one is a girl?  
Stanley: Her name is Elena. Let her sniff you a bit and then she might let you pet her.


	25. Fritz Prefers Hamburgers with Mayonnaise

Stanley walks around, sits down across from Brian. Fritz stays near Brian.  
Stanley: Fritz, watch.  
Fritz lies down, but keeps his focus on Brian, glances occasionally at Stanley.  
Brain: I don't want him to bite me.  
Stanley: No he won't. He is just going to watch you while we talk. You said you didn't want to hurt Ms. Tzu. Did you think a little about hurting her.  
Brian: No of course not. I said I didn't want to hurt her.  
Stanley: What ways did you not want to hurt her? You have a knife.  
Brian: Yeah I didn't want to stab her. I can get a gun you know. I'm not supposed to but it is easy to get a gun. I didn't want to shoot her.  
Stanley: Did you get a gun?  
Brian: No. But I could. I might. No. I don't want to shoot her.  
Stanley: Do you know what you do want Brian?  
Brian: I want her to change what she wrote. Say nice things. So I can have nice memories.  
Stanley: Have you talked to your sister about the nice memories she has of her father?  
Brian: Yeah. She showed me pictures of him. Him with her. Him with her mother. There are no pictures with my mother. No pictures with me.  
Stanley: And you wish there were pictures.  
Brian: I am his son. There should be pictures.  
Stanley: You were going to write a book about your mother.  
Brian: I was. I'm still going to write it. But now I want to write about my father.  
Stanley: What if we could talk Ms. Tzu into helping you write a book about your father. Maybe a book just telling the good things.  
Brian: Stanley, I don't think she would do that. I think she is a little afraid of me because of these notes and stuff. I think she might think I was kind of stalking her. And anyway she is on TV. She's not a writer.  
Stanley: You know she has a degree from USC. That's the University of Southern California. In journalism. She had to learn to write well to get that.  
Brain: She wouldn't help me.  
Stanley: What I can't figure out is why you went about this the way you did.  
Brain: See, I want people to know the good things about my father. I look like him. My sister says I look like him.  
Stanley: You look a lot like him.  
Brian: I have a white hat like his.  
Stanley: Yeah?  
Brian: I left it in New York. I have to go back tomorrow. My sister likes me to work.  
Stanley: Where are you working Brian?  
Brian: A tea warehouse. I help unload. It's all Chinese guys but me. I mean I'm Chinese but you know. Some of the guys come from families that knew my dad. They treat me with respect. Say "He is Joey Tai's son." And they bow to me. They are all teaching me Chinese. I learned some before. I lived with a Chinese family sometimes. The Lings. But they moved and I can’t go back and live with them now.  
Tracy comes up with the food. Starts putting it out on the table.  
Stanley: Fritz, okay, relax. Fritz wags his tail, relaxes, ambles over lies down by Stanley.   
Brian: Can I pay for my part of this.  
Stanley: No this is our treat, Brian. We wanted a chance to get to know you a little bit.  
Brian: I guess I went about this in the wrong way didn't I?  
Stanley: I think you scared Ms. Tzu.  
Brian: Could I call you Tracy since I get to call Stanley Stanley.  
Tracy: Sure. If you want to.  
Brian: I'd like that. This is nice. You are real nice. And this dog Elena. She likes me a little I think.  
Elena is sitting on the bench next to Brian looking hungrily at the food on the table.  
Tracy: I got a hamburger plain for Elena. Plain for Eric. And two with mayonnaise for Fritz.  
Stanley: Brian, you can break the hamburger into small bites and feed it to Elena.  
Brian: You order food for your dogs? Hamburgers for your dogs.  
Stanley: They like hamburgers.  
Brian: That big dog he likes hamburgers with mayonnaise?  
Stanley: Yeah, he does.  
Brian: This is real nice. Thank you.  
Brian carefully feeds Elena. She eats delicately. Taking each bite carefully. Her teeth never touch Brian's fingers.  
Brian: She has nice manners doesn't she.  
Stanley: With some people, she does.  
Brian: With me she does because she likes me.  
Stanley: I was telling Brian that you are a good writer. He would like people to know about the good things his father did.  
Tracy: I see. Brian did you know that your father started a program to help the elderly, the unemployed, help pay for burials in China town.  
Brian: He did? Help the elderly do what?  
Tracy:And he gave money to Yale University to pay a professor to teach Chinese history. I could take you to meet that professor. Introduce you as Joey Tai's son. I know him.  
Brian: You could?  
Tracy: If we can get this all straightened out.  
Stanley: And she could help you with the book you want to write on your father.  
Tracy: But we have to get this straightened out.  
Brian: What do I have to do?


	26. Ju Long Tai

Stanley: I don't think you have to do too much. I think we would like to know a little more first.  
Brian: Okay.  
Stanley: How did you know about Tracy and the salt?  
Brian: I followed her, you, Tracy. I sat outside. I didn't really have anything else to do. I have money. My sister you know. I had a cab follow you.  
Tracy: To the movie?  
Brian: Yeah. I watched you. Then I went in the movie for awhile. But then I went outside.  
Tracy: Was that you standing by the car?  
Brian: Yeah. Don't you know that now? Well, I was dressed like those cool Chinese guys. Did you like my purple jacket.  
Tracy: Very shiny. And your hair was different. Why were you standing there.?  
Brian: I thought you might recognize me. Know that I was Joey Tai's son. I thought you might say that. I thought you might say "Hey, you look like Joey Tai."  
Tracy: Why did you say we had a flat tire?  
Brian: I don't know.  
Tracy: We didn't have a flat tire.  
Brian: I guess I wanted you to think maybe I had cut your tires so you would be a little scared of me. But I wouldn't cut the tires.  
Tracy: Why did you say that about the salt?  
Brain: I think people should try to be healthy.  
Stanley: What about threatening to break Tracy's arm.  
Brian: I shouldn't have said that. I didn't like it that you went to see my sister. I was mad. You shouldn't have done that. I didn't want her to tell you I had been in the hospital. I didn't want you to think I was crazy. I wouldn't break your arm.  
Tracy: It scares me that you said that. I'm afraid you might hurt me.  
Brian: No no I won't I wouldn't. My sister can tell you. I'm really very nice. I don't hurt people on purpose. I get upset sometimes. I get mixed-up. bad things happen then sometimes.  
Stanley: The most important thing to me is that nothing hurts Tracy.  
Brian: Yeah I understand that because you like her a lot.  
Stanley: I like her a lot.  
Stanley: So you are going back to New York tomorrow. Brian, how would it be if you stopped sending these anonymous messages to Tracy and started sending her messages that you sign with your name. And you use a real e-mail address, the same one all the time. Just sign your name and let her know what is on your mind. And stop saying and doing things that would scare her or upset me. And next week Tracy and I will take you out to lunch in New York and we can talk about whatever you like. We can talk about a visit to the Yale professor, maybe a visit to the elderly program. Maybe talk to Tracy about some writing. How would that be?  
Brain: She doesn't have my phone number.  
Stanley: You can give her your phone number. And your e-mail.  
Brian: Do you mean it, you'll take me to lunch?  
Stanley: We do mean it.  
Brain: Okay.  
Stanley gets the wallet out, quickly looks through it and gives it back to Brian. Stanley looks through Brian's phone record. Shrugs, hands the phone back to Brian.  
Stanley: There is one other thing Brian. Why did you leave that package at my house?  
Brian laughs: You thought it was a bomb huh? I scared you.  
Stanley: Well you scared a lot of people with that package.  
Brian: I wanted you to know I knew who you were and that Tracy couldn't run away from me.  
Stanley: Okay Brian. You send an e-mail to Tracy with your phone number. You can e-mail her at the station with your thoughts and your ideas but you sign all your e-mails with your name. No more disappearing e-mails. You stop scaring her. You put your own name on all the e-mails. You sign them Brian.  
Brain: I don't like Brian.  
Stanley: What do you mean you don't like Brian?  
Brian: The name. I don't like that name. I want to have a Chinese name. Not Brian. Something Chinese.  
Tracy: A Chinese name? Instead of Brian?  
Brian: Yes. A Chinese name.  
Tracy: Hmmm. Do you like any of the Chinese zodiac?  
Brian: I like the dragons.  
Tracy: There is a name I know. It means as powerful as a dragon. It is Ju Long. Maybe you could try that out for awhile and see if you like it.  
Brian: I like that. Ju Long Tai. Ju Long Tai. Will you really see me in New York?  
Stanley: We will, I promise. In a week.  
Brian: Will you bring Elena?  
Stanley: No she doesn't like airplanes. You send Tracy your email address and Tracy will let you know when she gets back to New York and she will arrange our lunch meeting with you.  
Brian: I can trust you?  
Stanley: You can trust us.  
Brian: You know I have to go now. I want to see my sister before I leave.  
Stanley: Please tell her we said hello.  
Brian: And I am gong to tell her about my new name and about Elena. Thank you. Thank you a lot. You are not mad at me?  
Stanley: We are not mad.  
Tracy gives Brian back his car keys and Brian Tai now Ju Long Tai leaves.  
They watch him get in his car and drive away.  
Tracy: Where did you learn that? How did you know to do that?  
Stanley: I joined him in his delusion.  
Tracy: Impressive. Some tough guy cop.  
Stanley: Had to take classes at LAPD. Took a class on dealing with delusional people. Take home was just talk to them if they give you a chance. Thought it was worth a try. Surprised he showed himself to us. Guess he was ready.  
Tracy: Shouldn't we call the sister now.?  
Stanley: Yeah.  
Stanley gets out his cell phone.  
Stanley: Dr. Tai. This is Stanley White. Your brother was just here. We had a nice conversation with him. You are on speaker. Tracy Tzu is here with me. She can hear you.  
Dr. Tai: Is everything all right. Is he all right? Are you all right Tracy?  
Stanley: He's fine. He stayed pretty calm. He came to us. Must have been ready somehow to show himself. He did have a knife but he let me have it. I still have it. We are at a park near my house. He came there. Followed us there. We got him lunch. He talked to us about the e-mails. We can tell you more tomorrow. He left, said he was going to see you. He is planning to leave tomorrow. He has a job in a warehouse. I suggest you don't mention this call to him.  
Dr. Tai: Yes I agree. If he knew we were talking, he might think we were going behind his back. I want to avoid triggering any paranoid feeling. No I won't mention you called. He's coming now?.  
Stanley: That's what he said.  
Dr. Tai:: My psychiatrist friend Dr. Kumar will be here tomorrow. 2 is fine for him. Sanjay Kumar. You will like him. Very down to earth.  
Stanley: We will see you tomorrow then.  
Dr. Tai: Yes, Mr. White, thank you.  
15


	27. Dr. Jay Kumar

Dr. Tai shows Stanley and Tracy into a small utilitarian conference room. Windowless. Fluorescent lights. A table, eight chairs. A man is sitting there already. He is on the phone. He mouths “Hello.” Holds up one finger. Covers the phone.  
Man: Hi I'm Dr. Sanjay Kumar. Just give me a minute.  
Dr. Kuma goes back to the phone.  
Dr. Kuma: Hold him goddammit. He has to be fucking medically clear. I won’t admit him or fucking release him til he’s medically clear. Yeah that means an etoh level. Damn don't argue with me. You want to release the hold you do it. I won’t do it til I see all the labs. Put him in restraints if you have to I don't care. He has insurance and even if he didn't. He's on a hold. I won't lift it til I see the tox screen. Yeah. Just call me when you have it. Yeah that is true. I've known him a long time. Don’t change anything.   
Dr. Kumar hangs up extends his hand to Stanley then to Tracy.  
Dr. Kumar: Sorry about that. Call me Jay. Good to meet you. Dr. Tai, Emilia, and I are old friends. We went to school together. Undergraduate, then med school. Went separate ways. Found ourselves back here in Palo Alto. I don't know how much help I can be. I've known Em’s brother since med school at least maybe a little before. He's never been my patient so there is no issue here of patient confidentiality and I have never seen his records. I have met him on many occasions and have struggled through a number of tough times with him with Emilia. I’ll do what I can to help. He doesn’t routinely stalk anyone.  
Dr. Tai: I’ve told Jay about the notes. Can you tell us about yesterday to start.  
Stanley: We were at the park with the dogs. I live in Martinez. There is a park I can walk to from my house, about a mile, on the Carqueniz Straits, right on the water.  
Stanley describes Brian's coming up to them in the park. The knife, searching him. The discussion. Brian’s explanation for the e-mails, Twitter. Lunch. The promise to meet with Brian. In a week.  
Tracy: Stanley was calm and steady with him. Gentle but tough. Unrelenting, but patient. I wish I had a video.  
Dr. Tai: He seems quite taken with one of dogs, Elena is it. And your Fritz scared him. And you gave him a Chinese name.  
Tracy laughs: Yesterday just evolved. I changed how I felt about him. Not scared any more of him. Well I knew he could hurt me, but I didn’t feel scared. Not angry. Not feeling sorry for him, but understanding him. Understanding the world from his point of view. I felt compassion for him. It was because of Stanley. I could feel your brother's limitations. Stanley was guiding him along. And your brother let him.  
Stanley: I've worked with vets for a long time.  
Tracy: I asked Stanley about it, about how he knew what to do. No yelling no threats. Well some threats. But more like these are your options Brian, what's it gonna be.  
Stanley: LAPD paid us to take classes. I took a few on mentally disturbed people. One take away from one class was join them where they are. The instructor said when someone is delusional there is only room for one in the delusion and if the officer joins them accepts the delusion gets in it with them the person will start acting saner. It works. I wasn't on the street I was a detective by then but every once in awhile I'd have to deal with something. Even helped in domestic violence the more understanding, not scolding or anything. Just slow steady questioning not judgmental. Works with a some of the more troubled vets too.  
Dr. Tai: You work with Veterinarians. With the dogs.  
Stanley: No I volunteer at the Vet Center in the Tenderloin. Viet Nam Vets, Iraq, Afghanistan.  
Dr. Kumar: Yeah I've thought of offering my services there.  
Stanley: Come down sometime I'll show you around.  
Dr. Tai: So you bought him lunch you offered him a new name,you let him pet one of your dogs. You promised him a meeting next week.  
Stanley: I just kind of followed his lead. We wanted to find out why he'd been doing what he'd been doing.  
Dr. Tai: He didn't talk about the notes, the threats last night. He talked about you two and the dog and the new name. He thinks you are new friends.  
Stanley: I guess we are in a way.  
Dr. Tai: Could I see the messages from him. I'd like to learn as much as I can about the situation. And I'd like Jay to see them too.


	28. Tied Together on The Karmic Wheel.

Tracy takes the messages from her purse. The messages have Stanley’s notes on them. She hands them to Dr. Tai.  
Stanley: Tracy walk the doctors through them.  
He takes her hand, looks into her eyes. Gentle.  
Stanley: Include the visit from the rapist.  
She jerks her hand back.  
Tracy: I’d rather not.  
Stanley: I want them to hear all of it. All of what you have been through.  
Tracy: Why?  
Dr. Kumar: Do you two need a moment? We could step outside.  
Tracy is slightly annoyed.  
Tracy: No.  
Stanley: No.  
Tracy: All right.  
Tracy begins with the note that said she was the reporter that caused all the trouble. Continues through the movie, her rapist's appearance, the break-your-arm note. The package, the tracker. The park.  
Dr. Kumar: I'm so sorry you were raped.  
Tracy: It was a long time ago. I don't want to talk about it.  
Dr. Kumar: Okay. I understand. So Brian. The last thing he said to you in a note was he said to go back to New York and then he left the clippings then he appeared.  
Stanley: He showed himself. Why did he do that?  
Dr. Kumar: The thing about someone who is operating from an altered perspective, altered reality is that it doesn’t make sense unless you understand the premises of the altered reality, the delusion. The paranoid assumptions. Brian, now Ju Long, could tell you and from what you have told us about the meeting in the park I think he would tell you if you asked him.  
Dr. Tai: I’m not a psychiatrist, can’t really stand psychiatry, think it is a waste of a good physician...  
Dr. Kumar: She means me. She thinks I should do what she does. Africa. Ebola. Hemorrhagic fevers. Help people.  
Dr. Tai: Real medicine.  
Stanley: Would you like us to step outside for a minute?  
Dr. Tai and Dr.Kumar laugh.  
Dr. Kumar: An old argument. We go down well-worn paths. She thinks psychiatry is little more than feathers and pigeon entrails.  
Dr. Tai: If that. All psychiatry departments should be absorbed into neurology. It will all turn out to be the brain.  
Dr. Kumar rolls his eyes.  
Dr Tai laughs.  
Dr Tai: My brother has, as the policeman long ago said to me, my brother has a bad squash. My brother's problems are neurological.  
Tracy: Why did he show himself. He worked so hard to stay hidden.  
Dr Kumar: My best guess is because after you came here you knew who he was and he knew you knew who he was.  
Stanley: Yeah I get that. He was curious, couldn’t resist wanting to see with his own eyes his effect on Tracy. Us. The effect of the notes and the package, maybe the tracker. He felt powerful. Wanted to observe up close the effects of his power.  
Tracy: Why is he doing this now? What triggered it. The whole thing, the notes to me. Following me.  
Dr: Kumar: My guess is that the Lings being taken away from him destabilized him. And this quest for his father had its genesis in that loss.The loss of the Lings and their house left him adrift. He anchored himself to his father's memory which led him to you. And then to Stanley.  
Dr. Tai: He means my brother was at loose ends after the Ling’s kids sold their house and moved them to Florida.  
Stanley: Yeah I got that. Why not latch on to you, Dr Tai?  
Dr. Tai. Maybe I’m gone too much. Always have been gone too much. Maybe too close in age  
Tracy: What surprised me was how many of the questions I had, we had, that Brian uh Ju Long, could answer. Would answer. Answer willingly. When we asked him, when Stanley asked him, he could answer and we could see how it made sense to him.  
Dr Kumar is going through the notes.  
Dr Kumar: What is this about salt, you eat too much salt?  
Tracy: He followed me and a date to a theater. Movie theater. I salt my popcorn heavily. Always have.  
Tracy: We asked him about it. It seemed weird. He just said salt is bad for people.  
Stanley: Wait. He showed himself that time too. But Tracy didn't put it together. Tracy has face-blindness.  
Dr. Kumar: Prosopagnosia? You have prosopagnosia, Tracy?  
Tracy: I do. I saw him but I didn't know I had seen him. Even when I saw the pictures at the hotel I didn't know he had been the guy outside the theater by the car. He said he followed me and showed himself then because he wanted me to say he looked like his father. I let him down.   
  
Dr Kumar: Likely he is attracted but he is ambivalent about you Tracy. Wants connection with you, you are linked to his father, about his mother’s age, Chinese, but he resents you also. The attraction may seem sexual but it is not. Probably not.  
Stanley: Listen doc, if he saw us having sex...  
Tracy: STANLEY!  
Stanley: They are doctors, relax. They know about sex.  
Stanley: Lets just say if someone he was interested in was having sex at night on a picnic table would he watch?  
Dr. Kumar laughs.  
Dr. Kumar: On a picnic table? I'd watch.  
Dr. Tai: Uh, Jay.  
Dr. Kumar: Would he watch? He might watch. Uncomfortable I should think. Might leave. Probably be embarrassed. He might watch almost the way a child would watch. Curious, but also maybe repelled  
Stanley: If he saw uh these people he was interested in, would he need to let them know he saw.  
Dr Kumar: It would trouble him. I'd say he wouldn't be able to not say anything.  
Tracy: He didn’t see us.  
Dr Kumar: Look, you’ve done a good job with him so far. But he may not be stable just now. The move to New York. A new roommate. No therapist, no psychiatrist. Probably no meds. Maybe using a little something from the streets to take the edge off.  
Dr. Tai: I like the roommate. He is a gentle guy. Wants to stay in Manhattan. Needs my brother or someone there to the help with rent. I pay the rent, so it is always on time. But if my brother gets manic might not be worth it to him. It’s a nice place. Rent controlled. He could replace my brother without too much trouble.  
Dr. Kumar: It wouldn’t take much for Brian to become dependent on you two.  
Dr. Tai: It takes a village.  
Dr. Kumar: Remember he broke his sister‘s arm. And if he loves anyone it’s Emilia.  
Dr Kumar: There is a Hindu saying. If you pull a drowning man from the river, he is yours forever.  
Stanley: He’s ours forever?  
Dr. Kumar: Maybe.  
Dr Kumar: Stanley have you ever heard of The Jet Propelled Couch?  
Stanley laughing: No doc never have. That’s a good one. You got a Jet Propelled couch Doc?  
Dr Kumar: There is a book that used to be routinely assigned reading in abnormal psych classes. A book called The 50 Minute Hour. Not used any more. Kind of a relic. Written in the 50's. Still in print I think. By Robert Linder. Dr. Lindner. Psychologist. The Jet Propelled couch is the record of a highly delusional man, a scientist a brilliant scientist, who was referred to Dr. Linder. Dr. Linder became so involved in the man’s delusion that the patient relinquished the delusion. The patient supposedly said to Linder, you know doc this stuff isn’t real. The movie The Beautiful Mind may be based on Linder’s Jet Propelled Couch patient.  
Stanley: Are you saying that our listening to Brian, accepting him helped him. Helped him out of his obsession with Tracy.  
Dr. Kumar: It's possible.  
Stanley: What do you recommend, Doc? What should we do next with Brian?  
Dr Kumar: What are you comfortable with?  
Stanley: I’ll tell you what I’m not comfortable with and that is Tracy having contact with him without me there. You know I feel for him. But I don’t think there is much I can do. Tracy is my concern. The drowning man rescue thing. I dunno. He broke his sister's arm. What would he do to Tracy?  
Dr. Kumar: Brian needs to get hooked-up with a psychiatrist in New York who can prescribe and monitor meds, needs a therapist he can talk to, may need a social worker for support too, a social services agency. You two could help monitor him, watch over him some, give him someone to turn to.  
Dr Tai: He should have a doctor in New York. I don't think the roommate can be expected to help much. He can't look after Brian.  
Dr Kumar: I’ll get some names of some psychiatrists that would be willing to take him.  
Stanley: You want us to get him to a doctor?  
Dr Kumar: Why not you?  
Tracy: We can do that.  
Stanley: You know we mentioned the rapist earlier. Dr. Tai it was your father who ordered the rape on Tracy. Three Chinese boys. Held her at knife point. Told they could do as they wished but not to cut her face. Your father didn't want her face cut. And here we are, you are asking us to help take care of your illegitimate half-brother.  
Tracy: Stanley, STOP IT. It is my rape not yours. It is not yours to bring up.  
Dr. Tai. Oh my god. I am so sorry.  
Dr. Tai gags. Runs out of the room.  
Tracy: So Stanley. Happy? Is that what your were looking for?  
Dr. Kumar: Excuse me.  
Dr. Kumar goes out. They are both gone for almost ten minutes. Tracy glares at Stanley.  
Tracy: Happy now?  
Stanley: Thought we ought to get everything on the table.  
Dr. Kumar and Dr. Tai come back in. Dr. Tai looks as if she has been crying. She still looks mildly ill. She is dabbing her lips with a paper towel.  
Dr. Tai: I am so so sorry. I never knew about the rape. I didn't read about it; I thought I read everything.  
Tracy: I never reported it.  
Dr. Kumar: Stanley you didn't make her report it?  
Stanley: Make her report it? I could never make her do anything. She didn't want to do. I'm told she is Mandarin. That is like royalty or something. No she refused to report it.  
Dr. Tai: I am so sorry. So sorry my father had that done to you.  
Tracy: You didn't order the rape. I can separate you from your father. Stanley gave your father the gun so he could kill himself. Can you deal with that?  
Dr. Tai: I barely can. It is not easy.  
Dr. Kumar: Maybe you are all bound together on some kind of karmic wheel.  
Dr. Tai: I hate it when he says things like that. He spent a year in Zurich with those idiot superstitious Jungians.  
Tracy: Maybe we are. Bound together on a karmic wheel. Strange way to think about it. But now I guess you are bound with us Dr. Kumar.  
Stanley: She has the names of the other two rapists.  
Dr. Kumar: What are you going to do about them?  
Stanley: I'm going to kill them. When she gives me their names, I'm going to find them and kill them.  
Dr. Kumar: I'll pretend that I didn't hear that.  
Tracy: Stanley. Stop it. I won't give you their names. Maybe they are sorry.  
Dr. Kumar: Listen Stanley, I'll give you two my numbers, office, service and my personal cell. Call me anytime. Call me before you kill anyone.  
Stanley: Not going to promise that. But I'll call you for help for Brian.  
Dr Tai: I have a meeting. I don't think I'll be able to meet with you again. Before I leave. Please take all my numbers also. Jay will give them to you. If you can't reach me. Call Jay. He has been wonderful with Brian. Like a younger brother of his as much as mine.  
Dr. Kumar: A younger disturbed brother.  
She reaches into a card holder on her desk, hands the cards to Dr. Kumar.  
Dr. Tai and Dr. Kumar hug. Warmly. Hold the embrace. A little more than platonic.  
Dr. Tai: See you tonight.  
Dr. Tai: Ms Tzu, Mr. White. I don't know what to say. Maybe we are caught on some karmic wheel together.  
She hugs Tracy. Starts to shake Stanley's hand.  
Stanley: You've hugged everybody else you're not getting out of hugging me too.  
She hugs Stanley.  
She touches Dr. Kumar lightly on the sleeve. She leaves. Dr. Kumar gets out two business cards from inside his jacket, writes several numbers on the back. Hands one to Tracy, one to Stanley. These are my numbers.  
Does the same with the cards that Dr. Tai gave him.  
Dr. Kumar: These are all of Emilia's numbers. After next Wednesday, try me first. Emilia can't do much from Africa. But she does have a satellite phone we can sometimes get her on if we need her.  
Stanley: Are you two uh?  
Dr Kumar: We were once. Now I’m not sure what we are. More than friends, but I’m not sure what.  
Tracy: You're not married?  
Dr: Kumar: I am actually. An arranged marriage. A nice woman from Punjab. She is rather devout. Two lovely kids. But probably should have married Emilia when I had the chance.  
Tracy: Why didn’t you?  
Dr. Kumar: Too much the obedient son in those days. A good Indian Muslim son. My parents wishes came first. I was the hope of the family. Had to do everything right.  
Tracy: Dr. Tai never married.  
Dr. Kumar: No. There have been men. I held my breath every time. I like to think she never married because of me. Like to think I’m her true love.  
Tracy: Rather selfish isn't it?  
Dr. Kumar. Love is selfish. Love is complicated.  
He looks sad.  
Dr. Kumar: Let me walk you out. I have to get to the hospital. Bail-out my patient if he has sobered up. If you need me to help with Brian, call me. If you need me, I'll come to New York. I look after him when Emilia is out of the country. All the numbers are on the back of the cards I gave you.  
Tracy: You and Dr. Tai you're like a couple aren't you?  
Dr. Kumar: We are. It does feel that way.  
Tracy: You are a man with two wives.  
Dr. Kumar: Maybe I am.  
Tracy: Like her father.  
Dr. Kumar: Hopefully not like her father. I've also read everything I can about him.  
They walk out quietly. Each in their own thoughts.  
At the parking lot, Stanley and Dr. Kumar shake hands. Dr. Kumar hugs Tracy lightly.  
Dr. Kumar: You'll call if you need to.  
Stanley: We will.  


* 

Stanley and Tracy are driving back across the San Mateo bridge. Quiet, each lost in thought.  
Tracy: Men and love.  
Stanley: Women and love.  
Tracy: Brian, his age. Eurasian. He could have been our son.  
Stanley: No. We would have had a beautiful daughter. Looks like her mother’s. Beautiful. A Eurasian Helen of Troy. Probably wold have named her Helen.  
Tracy: Your son would have been as cracked as Brian.  
Stanley: He would not. My son would have been a baseball player, a soldier, a senator. I would not have had a cracked son.  
Tracy: He would have been cracked. What other kind of son could you have had?  
Stanley: I could never marry you. You are such a smart ass.  
Tracy: You never married me because I left you before you straightened yourself out.  
Stanley: You put some Chinese spell on me so I could never love anyone but you. Used rat ears, bats' tongues and 1000 year eggs or something.  
Tracy: I did. You said the Chinese have no word for love, but we do have spells for love. For binding a man's heart.  
Tracy: Do you want me to remove the spell now?  
Stanley: No I'm used to it.  
Tracy looks at her phone.  
Tracy: I have an email  
Stanley: Who from?  
Tracy: Who do you think?  
Stanley: Smart ass. Gotta be a smart ass.  
Tracy: From julong@dragonmountain.com  
Stanley: Wastes no time.  
Tracy: It says "I am on the plane. Almost to landing. I hope you mean it about lunch with me. Next week. I would like to have a dog like Elena. Thank you for lunch. I am sorry I scared you." It’s signed Ju Long  
Stanley: He could volunteer at a dog rescue. Probably be in heaven there.  
Tracy: I think we should give him a time for lunch.  
Stanley: Okay. Tell him we’ll see him a week from today for lunch at noon. Tell him we'll let him know where. Tell him he could volunteer at an animal rescue, a dog rescue. To see him next is going to take some arranging but I can manage. Am I staying with you?  
Tracy: Would it do any good if I said no?  
Stanley: Why would you say no? You don’t want to say no.  
Stanley: Your favorite thing is to be in bed with me. Or on a picnic table under me.  
Tracy: I like being on top of you too.  
Stanley. Of course you do.


	29. I loved you then I love you now

They pull up in front of Stanley’s house in Martinez. Cameron comes to the door opens it, opens the screen. The dogs run out to the car. Stanley gets out, walks around to the passenger door, Tracy is already opening it. Stanley takes the door handle, holds the door open for her.  
Tracy: Your manners are better.  
Stanley: Glad you noticed.  
The walk to the house. The joyful dogs with them. Tracy pulls Stanley’s Sleeve. He turns to her.  
Stanley: What?  
Tracy: You never said you loved me. Back then. You never said “I love you.”  
Stanley: You knew though. You knew.  
Tracy: Why couldn't you say it?  
Cameron has followed the dogs out.  
Cameron: They are happy with me til you come home. Then they make it seem like all they did was wait by the door for you.  
Stanley: Don’t worry Cameron. I’ve seen how they act when you show up. They give you a royal welcome.  
Cameron: Yeah they do.  
Stanley: I’m going to go to New York for a few days next week. I want to see what we can work out for dog care.  
Cameron: I could stay here. With them. I won’t have any parties ot anything. I promise Stanley. I wouldn’t. I like getting away from my mom and my sisters.  
Stanley: Tracy and I need to make some plans. I‘ll give you a call tomorrow.  
Cameron:Yeah okay great.  
Stanley pays him and Cameron says goodbye to each dog and he leaves.  
Stanley and Tracy go in. Tracy goes into the guest room, changes into drawstring cotton pants and a short t-shirt. Goes barefoot. .  
Stanley goes in the kitchen gets a beer out of the fridge, feeds the dogs.  
Stanley: Tracy, you want a beer, some wine?  
Tracy: Wine.  
Stanley pours for her, brings the wine in the guest room to her.  
Stanley: Sexy.  
Tracy: Cotton knit pants and a t-shirt are sexy?  
Stanley: On you they are.  
He walks over to her puts the wine down, puts his beer down, takes her in his arms. She pulls away. Stands a little away from him.  
Stanley: I never said I love you? In all the time before you left me. I never said it?  
Tracy: I didn’t leave you. I thought it was mutual. And no you never said it. Not once.  
Stanley: You said it for both of us.  
Tracy: No it doesn’t work that way.  
Stanley: Sure it does.  
Tracy: No it doesn’t.  
Stanley: Did you leave me cause I didn’t say I love you?  
Tracy: Partly that. I thought our separating was mutual.  
Stanley: It wasn’t mutual. I didn’t want you to go. It tore me apart when you left. If I say it will you stay this time?  
Tracy: You said separating was what we both wanted.  
Stanley: I lied.  
Tracy: I’m going back to New York. I can’t stay here with you.  
Stanley: I love you. I can’t let you leave me again. I love you.  
Stanley puts his arms around her. Kisses her cheeks, eyes, her lips.  
Stanley: You know I can’t let you leave me again. I shouldn’t have let you leave me back then.  
Tracy: Why didn’t you say you loved me?  
Stanley: I’m saying it now.  
He pulls her into his bedroom. The dogs follow.  
Stanley: Sorry gang, you have to wait outside. He herds the dogs out, closes the door leaving the dogs outside the bedroom.  
Stanley picks her up in his arms carries her to the bed.  
Stands next to the bed. Takes off his shirt. Gets on the bed next to her leans over her, kisses her. Pulls back.  
Stanley: I love you. I have never loved anybody else since you. I love you. I loved you then, I love you now. I love you.  
He kisses her again.  
Tracy puts her arms around him.  
Tracy: So what do we do about this love now. We live 3000 miles apart.


	30. The Consequences of Love Spells

Stanley and Tracy are lying in Stanley's bed. It's dark. Fritz is on the floor. Eric is snoring happily between them. Elena is at the foot of the bed. Her back to them.  
Tracy: You need a bigger bed.  
Stanley: If you are going to keep forcing your way into my bed I guess I do.  
Tracy: What are we going to do?  
Stanley: I don't know. I don't see a way through this. I don't see a way that works. I have a life here. You have a life there. I have my dogs. My garden. You have your anchor job. You're a celebrity in New York. Martinez would be dull after New York.  
Tracy: But I would have Eric.  
Stanley: And you'd have me to make you happy sexually.  
Tracy: There is that. But what would I do?  
Stanley: Garden? Walk the dogs with me. You could take classes at UC Berkeley. Maybe get a job here on a news station. There is every kind of station in San Francisco. Write a book.  
Tracy moves Eric over. Puts her head under Stanley's chin. He encircles her with his arms. Smells her hair.  
Stanley: You smell so good.  
Tracy: I never stopped loving you. It feels so good to be in bed with you like this.  
Stanley: Of course you never got over me. And you never will. Don't you know that when you put a love spell on someone it binds you to them as much as them to you.  
Tracy: Good night Stanley. 16


	31. Blue Opal, Diamonds, Black pearls

They are sitting at the bistro table on the patio in Stanley’s back yard. They have coffee. A plate of English muffins Stanley toasted. Fig jam. The dogs are lying in the sun on the concrete.  
Tracy: I’ve never had fig jam.  
Stanley: A woman from the Polish Center makes it. Has a tree. We harvest for her. She sells it at the annual bazaar of the Polish Center. Gives the harvesters several jars each.  
Tracy: It’s good.  
She spreads the jam thickly on the muffin.  
Stanley: There is an open market on Sunday here. Downtown they close Main street. Breads. Vegetables. Hats. Jewelry. Cheeses. Fruit stands. Great fruit. Local growers. Great food. Let’s walk down. Fig jam lady sells there too sometimes.  
Tracy: Dogs?  
Stanley: Dogs are welcome. But let’s leave them here.  
Tracy: Do you let them stay alone?  
Stanley: I do. It’s risky. If they get bored, they get into things. Sometimes their play can be a little destructive.  
Tracy: Outside?  
Stanley: Fritz can go over any fence he wants to, at least up to 7 feet. He will leave to go find me. Likes to keep an eye on me. Thinks it’s his job. I don’t mind leaving them but Cameron and I have a deal. If I’m going some place, and I’m thinking of leaving the dogs alone, I tell Cameron and he can come and stay here, he likes to get away and he doesn’t charge me.  
Tracy: But couldn’t you always say that?  
Stanley: Honor system.  
Stanley calls Cameron.  
Stanley: We are going to walk down to Main Street. I was going to leave the dogs, just hope for the best. But you are welcome to come. Not on the clock.  
Cameron: Sure. Thanks. I make so much money from you Stanley and I don’t have to do anything really, I feel kinda bad sometimes. I don't mind at all doing a not on the clock. I'd rather be at your place than with my three sisters.  
Stanley: Thanks Cameron. Glad the dogs have a pal, like the feeling of knowing someone is here.  
Cameron: What time?  
Stanley: Give us an hour or so.

They walk to Main Street. The street is noisy. Bustling. The smell of meat on the grill wafts thru the air. The smell of ripe fruit. Live music somewhere. A blue grass band.  
Tracy: I’m hungry again. If I moved here I would be as big as Mr. Harris in no time.  
Stanley:300 lbs?  
Tracy: In just a few months.  
Stanley: More to love.  
Tracy: Say it again.  
Stanley: What?  
Tracy: Don’t act all innocent. Confused. You know what I want.  
Stanley: You want me. That’s what you want.  
Tracy: No. I don’t want you.  
Stanley faces her, backs her up with his body, between two vendors into an empty alley way, pushes her against a building wall, his hands on the wall on each side of her, above her, leans into her, pushes himself against her, kisses her.  
Stanley: I love you. I always loved you. There was never anyone else after you. Only you. You are the alpha and the omega of love for me. I love you. I love you.  
He kisses her again. He pulls back from the kiss, keeps her against the wall.  
Stanley: Good enough?  
Tracy: Are you coming back to New York with me?  
Stanley backs away. Takes her hand. Pulls her back to the walkway through the vendors.  
Stanley: I want to buy you a ring.  
Tracy: Here?  
Stanley Where else. You need Tiffany's? I’m not a Tiffany kind of guy. You know that  
Tracy: Why?  
Stanley: Why what? The ring? Because you are mine. Mine again. A ring is like a handcuff. It is like handcuffing you to me as long as you wear it, wear the ring you are handcuffed to me.  
Tracy: You think like a cop. Still.  
Stanley: I think like a cop still.  
Tracy: What if I don’t want your ring?  
Stanley: You want my ring.  
They walk along, pausing before each stand where there is jewelry. Stanley looks over the rings carefully.  
Stanley: Tell me if you see anything you like.  
Tracy: if I see something I like, will you get it, buy it.  
Stanley: Maybe. If I like it.  
They look at numerous rings a few bracelets a necklace or two. Tracey tries several rings. None pleases both of them.  
Tracy: What are you looking for?  
Stanley: Remember the night I came to your place, you were taking a shower. We made love and you got up and it was just before dawn. You said "I love you". Everything was blue. The sky, the water. White lights on the bridges. You were silhouetted against that blue. Of all the pictures in my mind of you there is always that one. I want a ring that is like that, like it made me feel watching you. I had just made love to you and I watched you move, you were silhouetted against that blue, an indescribable blue, a Parrish blue and the beauty of it, you, took my breathe away. Even when I thought of it later I couldn’t breathe. Even now.  
Tracy: I remember that morning. Hmmm maybe an opal then, they are blue.  
Stanley: Opal. Okay. Let’s look for an opal.  
Tracy: We’ve seen everything here.  
Stanley: Let’s walk over to Monkey Creek and have lunch. It'll be cool in there and quiet.  
Tracy: Brian. Ju Long. Being here makes me think of him. I had forgotten all about him for a little while.  
They walk a street over and down. Go into a The Monkey Creek pub. Stanley has beer and BBQ. Tracy salad and wine. They are quiet. Looking in each other’s eyes. Stanley reaches across the table holds his hand out palm up. Tracy puts her hand in his.  
Stanley: I should have married you.  
Tracy: What makes you think I would have married you.  
Stanley: You were mine from the time I kissed you in the phone booth after the shooting. There was never anyone else for you.  
Tracy: You’re wrong. I wasn’t yours then.  
Stanley: When then? Tell me when.  
Tracy: When the shooting started and you got up and grabbed me and pushed me down on the floor and laid on top of me, when there was shooting everywhere. You protected me, shielded me from the bullets, kept me safe.  
Stanley: Once you were down on the floor you were probably safe.  
Tracy: So you stayed on top of me because you were enjoying it.  
Stanley: I got you down on the floor to protect you, I stayed on top of you to keep you from trying to get up and to shield you while I figured out where the shooters were, how many there were and what kind of weapons they had. Only later did I think about how it felt, how you felt, what it was like to lie on top of you. How you felt underneath me. How good you felt.  
Tracy: I told you I loved you. Was in love with you. You weren’t in love with me? Not then?  
Stanley: I was a mess then. Connie, my marriage, then Connie's death. The triads. Chinatown. A new command. I wanted you. I wanted you from then, from when I was lying on top of you. Desired you. Love a little later. No the phone both I think. Desire from being on top of you. Love from the phone booth when I kissed you, when I kissed you on the lips, from then. I wanted to take care of you. Wanted you to stop crying then. Wanted to be able to make you stop crying.  
They eat. Silent again.  
Walk back to Main Street. Behind a stand with jewelry is a second hand store. Door open.  
Stanley: Let’s look in there.  
The walk around the stand into the shop. The shop smells dusty, it’s filled with second hand things. Books, dishes, a piano with a ceramic peacock on top. Clothes on a rack. Victorian furniture. Chairs, tables. Everything dusty. Stained glass chandeliers hang down through the store. None lit. It’s dark, quiet.  
In the back a woman is sitting on a stool reading a newspaper.  
Woman: Help you?  
Stanley: We are looking for a ring, an opal, something blue.  
Woman: I have three opal rings. Two yellow gold settings. One white gold with small diamonds and black pearls. A cluster ring. 15 opals, diamonds and small black pearls in between the opals. All the opals are blue.  
Stanley: Let me see it.  
The woman gets off her stool walks behind a case. Unlocks the door in the back of the case. Slides the door open, brings out three boxes each with an opal ring. Sets them on the counter.  
Stanley: That is the ring I’ve been looking for.  
Tracy: It's beautiful  
Stanley: How much?  
Woman: $1000.  
Woman: But today for her, it’s $850.  
Stanley: Try it on  
Tracy puts her hand out.  
Stanley takes the ring out of the box, slides it on her finger.  
Tracy: It’s a little loose.  
Stanley: That is the ring I want.  
He takes out his wallet. Puts 9 $100 bills on the counter.  
Tracy: What if I don’t want to be handcuffed to you. What if I don’t want this ring.  
Stanley looks at the woman behind the counter.  
Stanley: Then give this woman back the ring now.  
Tracy: No. I didn’t say I did want it. I just said what if...  
Stanley: Say it now. Say, I want this ring. Say, I want this ring Stanley.  
Stanley: Why do I always have to go through this with you.  
Tracy: So you are aware of, so you know, how much you want me.  
The woman picks up the money.  
Woman: I’ll get your change.  
Stanley: Just keep the change. Or give someone a break on a price sometime if someone needs it.  
Woman: Yeah, okay thanks. You want receipt? Want me to wrap it. Want the box?  
Stanley. I want the box. I want a receipt. She’ll wear it out.  
The woman puts the money in her pocket, writes a receipt from a pad with no duplicates. Hands Stanley the box.  
Woman: Want a bag.  
Stanley slips the box and the receipt in his pocket.  
Stanley: No bag.  
Tracy holds her hand up with the ring. Kisses him.  
Tracy: It’s like the spell. The ring binds you to me as much as me to you.  
Stanley: Want to get married?  
Tracy: Need to think about that a little more.  
He reaches out holds up her hand, the hand with the ring, brings her hand to his lips, kisses the ring, kisses her fingertips, then kisses her lips.  
Tracy: I’ve always been yours. Stanley did you hear me?  
Stanley: I heard you.

The End

(28*21/17/1)

For further Stanley White and Tracy Tzu see **20 Years Later Alice and Terry and the Otterhound** by Mariah Tess Jo Jasper (MariahTessJoJasper)


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